Border Protector Michael J. Fisher - KMI Media Group

Border Threat Prevention and CBRNE Response
Border
Protector
Michael J.
Fisher
Chief
U.S. Border Patrol
U.S. Customs and
Border Protection
Leadership Insight:
Wide Area Aerial Surveillance O Hazmat Disaster Response
Tactical Communications O P-3 Program
SpecIaL SecTIon:
Integrated
Fixed Towers
www.BCD-kmi.com
June 2012
Volume 1, Issue 1
Robert S. Bray
Assistant Administrator for
Law Enforcement
Director of the Federal Air
Marshal Service
Transportation Security
Administration

Introducing
Border &
CBRNE Defense
Supporting those who defend our borders.
For more information, contact Charles Weimer at
charlesw@kmimediagroup.com.

Border & CBRNE Defense
June 2012
Volume 1 • Issue 1
Features CoVer / Q&a
4
7
12
21
24
10
Leadership Insight: TSA
Q&A with Robert S. Bray, Assistant Administrator for Law Enforcement/
Director of the Federal Air Marshal Service (AFAMS) within the
Transportation Security Administration, discussing AFAMS mission to
detect, deter and defeat hostile acts targeting U.S. air carriers, airports,
passengers and crews.
Hazmat Disaster Response
First responders need to be at the top of their game when hazardous
materials spill, leak, explode or otherwise create dangerous situations.
Learn how they mitigate the risk of a hazmat situation.
By H.R. Hogan
Special Section: Integrated Fixed Towers
IFT is a Customs Border and Protection strategy to rapidly acquire
non-developmental systems to support border protection efforts.
The technology combines with other resources and capabilities,
notably personnel, infrastructure and intelligence, to improve the
overall efficiency and effectiveness of our border protection efforts.
By Peter Buxbaum
Tactical Communications
Interview with John Santo, executive director, DHS Joint Wireless
Program, about the Department of Homeland Security’s recently awarded
$3 billion IDIQ contract for tactical communications to support the entire
department, along with the White House, Interior, Justice and State
departments.
Counter Drug Operations
CBP OAM P-3s have been an integral part of the successful counternarcotic
missions operating in coordination with the Joint Interagency
Task Force – South. Lothar Eckhardt, the executive director of National
Air Security Operations, participates in an exclusive interview.
By Brian O’Shea
Eyes Over Borders
How Customs and Border Protection is utilizing technology, manpower
and equipment to better protect our nation’s borders. The Department of
Homeland Security hopes to make two to three firm-fixed-price awards
for demonstration of a wide area aerial surveillance system (WAASS).
WAASS’s primary objective is persistent, long-term surveillance of urban
and rural terrain of at least 16 square kilometers.
By Henry Canaday
17
Michael J. Fisher
Chief
U.S. Border Patrol
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Departments
2
3
14
27
Editor’s Perspective
Frontline News
Security Watch
Resource Center
InDustry InterVIew
28
Lou Banks
BioSurveillance Marketing Manager
Idaho Technology Inc.

orDer & Cbrne
DeFense
Volume 1, Issue 1 • June 2012
Border Threat Prevention and
CBRNE Response
eDItorIal
Editor
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Correspondents
H.R. Hogan • Henry Canaday • Peter Buxbaum
art & DesIGn
Art Director
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aDVertIsInG
Associate Publisher
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a prouD member oF
subsCrIptIon InFormatIon
Border & CBRNE Defense
is published 6 times a year by KMI Media Group.
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without
permission is strictly forbidden.
© Copyright 2012.
Border & CBRNE Defense is free to qualified
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EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE
As many publishing companies are decreasing the size and scope
of their coverage, I am thrilled that KMI Media Group is expanding
its family of publications spotlighting military and federal agency
operations and technologies.
Border & CBRNE Defense (BCD) focuses on homeland security
and counterterrorism efforts including mitigating chemical, biological,
radiological, nuclear and explosive threats along our northern and
southwest borders and ports throughout the U.S. BCD coverage includes
all military support operations, disaster response, first responders and
other federal agencies—including U.S. Customs and Border Protection
(CBP), Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Transportation
Security Administration—that collaborate to ensure our country’s safety
from hostile intrusion.
Brian O’Shea
Editor
Whether it’s the Secretary of Homeland Security working to reduce cybercrime, which Janet
Napolitano said represents the “greatest threat and actual activity that we have seen aimed at the
West and at the United States,” or CBP working to promote and enhance supply chain security in their
regions under the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism initiative, there are very real threats
out there. These threats pose a danger to our nation that you may not necessarily see on the front
page of mainstream media. Federal agencies and the U.S. military are doing everything they can and
working with private industry to mitigate these threats.
You may have noticed that another of KMI Media Group’s publications has changed its name from
Military Medical/CBRN Technology to Military Medical & Veterans Affairs Forum (M2VA). M2VA
will continue to cover military medical issues, but will take more of a focus on the Department of
Veterans Affairs. The CBRNE aspect will now be covered within BCD, as keeping CBRNE threats out
of our country’s borders is a high priority. If you have any questions regarding Border & CBRNE
Defense, feel free to contact me at any time.
Border Threat Prevention and CBRNE Response
Border
Protector
Michael J.
Fisher
Chief
U.S. Border Patrol
U.S. Customs and
Border Protection
Military Logistics
Forum
www.MLF-kmi.com
KmI meDIa Group maGazInes anD websItes
Border & CBRNE
Defense
SPECIAL SECTION:
Integrated
Fixed Towers
www.BCD-kmi.com
June 2012
Volume 1, Issue 1
Leadership Insight:
Robert S. Bray
Assistant Administrator for Law
Enforcement/Director of the Federal Air
Marshal Service
Wide Area Aerial Surveillance O Hazmat Disaster Response
Tactical Communications O P-3 Program
www.BCD-kmi.com
Military Medical
& Veterans
Affairs Forum
Health Care
Collaborator
Lt. Gen.
Patricia D.
Horoho
Surgeon General
U.S. Army
Commanding General
U.S. Army Medical
Command
Dedicated to the Military Medical & VA Community
www.M2VA-kmi.com
Ground
Combat
Technology
www.GCT-kmi.com
www.M2VA-kmi.com
May 2012
Volume 16, Issue 3
Who’s Who
NATIONAL GUARD BUREAU
MAJ. GEN.
DAVID L. HARRIS
Director, J-3/7
National Guard Bureau
En Route Medical Evacuation O San Antonio Military Health System
Veterans Affairs Police O AFMS Contracts
Leadership
Insight :
NMLC
Military Training
Technology
www.MT2-kmi.com
Geospatial
Intelligence
Forum
www.GIF-kmi.com
Special
Operations
Technology
www.SOTECH-kmi.com
Military
Advanced
Education
www.MAE-kmi.com
Tactical ISR
Technology
www.TISR-kmi.com
Military
Information
Technology
www.MIT-kmi.com
U.S. Coast Guard
Forum
www.USCGF-kmi.com

FRONTLINE NEWS
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced
it began testing new technologies designed to enhance TSA’s
ability to identify altered or fraudulent passenger identification
documents and boarding passes at Washington Dulles International
Airport. The technology will also be tested at Houston George Bush
Intercontinental Airport and Luis Muñoz Marín International
Airport in the coming weeks.
In October, 2011, TSA awarded limited contracts to BAE Systems
Information Solutions Inc., Trans-Digital Technologies LLC, and
NCR Government Systems LLC to provide pilot testing of fraudulent
document detection technology to a limited number of airports.
Each selected airport will receive a total of six detection units, two
units from each vendor. TSA will expand the deployment schedule
following successful implementation and testing in the selected
airport environments.
“The piloting of this technology is another milestone in TSA’s
ongoing risk-based security initiative,” said TSA Administrator
John S. Pistole. “The ability to efficiently and effectively identify
Compiled by KMi Media Group staff
TSA Announces Testing of Document Verification Technologies
Vendor Named For
Homeland Security
AT&T Government Solutions has been selected as a prime vendor under
the Tactical Communications Equipment and Services (TacCom) contract.
The TacCom contract, administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security (DHS), is a multiple award contract with an overall value of
$3 billion and a base contract period of two years and three, one-year
options.
The TacCom contract provides DHS and its component agencies
a cost-effective contract vehicle to purchase a wide range of tactical
communications products, infrastructure and services to support public
safety communications for first responders. As a prime vendor, AT&T can
compete against other vendors for individual awards from DHS and its
component agencies. AT&T was awarded a position in all five functional
categories under the TacCom contract, including Subscriber Units,
Infrastructure, Infrastructure Services, O&M Services, and Test Equipment.
AT&T understands the critical role network assets and tactical
communication products and services play for public sector agencies,
especially in an emergency.
Recently, DHS announced that AT&T is the first private sector company
to attain certification under the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness
Accreditation and Certification Program (PS-Prep). PS-Prep is a voluntary
program of accreditation and certification of private entities using standards
adopted by DHS that promote private sector preparedness, including disaster
management, emergency management and business continuity programs.
The standards were announced by DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano in
June 2010. The program is part of DHS’ implementation of recommendations
by the 9/11 Commission to improve private sector preparedness for disasters
and emergencies. AT&T achieved the certification following months of
rigorous audits that measured the company’s ability to manage and
maintain operations during emergencies.
fraudulent identity documents and authenticate boarding passes
has the potential to not only improve security but also the
checkpoint experience for passengers.”
This technology, known as Credential Authentication
Technology-Boarding Pass Scanning Systems (CAT-BPSS), will scan
a passenger’s boarding pass and photo ID, and then automatically
verify that the names provided on both documents match and
authenticate the boarding pass. The technology also identifies
altered or fraudulent photo IDs by analyzing and comparing
security features embedded in the IDs. This system supports TSA’s
efforts to enhance the passenger screening experience by moving
toward a more risk-based, intelligence-driven counterterrorism
approach.
TSA’s risk-based security measures focus its resources on those
passengers that it knows the least about. TSA began testing CAT-BPSS
at the TSA Systems Integration Facility in 2011 and continues to test
the latest technologies available—expanding efforts to address
evolving threats and improve the passenger screening experience.
NORAD and USNORTHCOM
Conduct Ardent Sentry
2012
The North American Aerospace Defense Command
and U.S. Northern Command conducted a major
exercise, Ardent Sentry 2012, focused on Defense
Support of Civil Authorities, May 2-9, 2012.
The exercise was primarily a command post
exercise, but there were field training events within
the exercise. Those events took place in North Dakota,
Oregon, Texas, Alaska, Connecticut and Nova Scotia
and involved United States and Canadian military
units.
• North Dakota: The Air Force Global Strike
Command responded to a simulated nuclear
weapons incident on Minot Air Force Base.
• Oregon: The Oregon National Guard worked with
state and local officials to respond to numerous
weather-related and security events.
• Texas: U.S. Army North deployed a task force to
work through the process of leading a military
response to a major hurricane.
• Alaska: Joint Task Force-Alaska conducted a
coordinated response to a major aircraft crash in a
remote area.
• Nova Scotia: Canadian and U.S. Naval forces
worked together to handle a security related event.
www.BCD-kmi.com BCD 1.1 | 3

Robert S. Bray
Q: What is your role in the Transportation Security Administration’s
[TSA] objective to detect, deter and defeat hostile acts targeting U.S.
air carriers, airports, passengers and crews?
A: I became the TSA’s assistant administrator for the Office of Law
Enforcement, director of the Federal Air Marshal Service [FAMS] in June
2008. I began my career with FAMS on May 5, 2003, as the assistant
special agent in charge of the Mission Operations Center at the Federal
Aviation Administration Technical Center in Atlantic City, N.J. In November
2003, I was appointed the deputy assistant director for the Office of
Training and Development and subsequently selected as the assistant
director, Office of Security Services and Assessments in March 2006.
My role as director of the FAMS is to direct the strategic deployment
of federal air marshals onboard domestic and international flights as well
as coordinate additional federal air marshal law enforcement duties in
the transportation domain.
As TSA’s assistant administrator, director of the Office of Law
Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service [OLE/FAMS], I take great pride
in supporting our workforce and its ability to effectively provide counterterrorism
and investigative operations throughout the nation. The
men and women of FAMS continually provide support to federal, state
and local law enforcement organizations throughout the world, and are
called upon to assist with incidents of national significance. The dedication,
sacrifice and professionalism of our workforce cannot be overstated.
As an assistant administrator of the TSA, I serve as a senior adviser to
the assistant secretary and deputy administrator on matters affecting the
strategic and operational direction of TSA in all areas of law enforcement
and security operations, programs, policies, infrastructure and internal
processes. I provide advice and direction on department and agency wide
goals and priorities with other TSA senior leadership.
I believe my most important role is providing the FAMS workforce
with the support and leadership necessary to enable every member of our
organization to perform their duties to the optimal level.
Q: Can you provide an overview of some recent successes by TSA’s
FAMS?
A: Today’s FAMS is a highly trained, professional federal law enforcement
organization charged with securing the nation’s civil aviation system
and transportation domain from both criminal and terrorist acts. Under
the Aviation and Transportation Security Act [ATSA] and the Implementing
Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, TSA has
broad responsibility to enhance security in all modes of transportation
nationwide. Federal air marshals are part of a nationwide transportation
security program that serves all modes of transportation.
Sky marshals, now referred to as federal air marshals, have successfully
completed missions onboard U.S. air carriers since the 1960s.
Currently, federal air marshals operate as the last line of defense in TSA’s
risk-based security approach.
4 | BCD 1.1
LEADERSHIP INSIGHT
Assistant Administrator for Law Enforcement
Director of the Federal Air Marshal Service
Transportation Security Administration
FAMS prides itself on being the sole law enforcement organization
within the United States that is not only dedicated to the safety and
security of the traveling public, but also able to deploy assets domestically
and internationally at a moment’s notice. The extent of federal air
marshal domestic capabilities was evident from our rapid response to
natural disasters including Hurricanes Katrina and Ike. Additionally, our
ability to deploy assets onboard aircraft internationally was proven when
we effectively deployed assets in response to the liquid explosives plot
in August 2006 and the December 25, 2009, failed improvised explosive
device attack onboard NW Flight 253.
Q: Can you elaborate on the training federal air marshals receive as
far as investigative techniques, criminal terrorist behavior recognition,
firearms proficiency, aircraft specific tactics, and close quarters selfdefense
measures to protect the flying public?
A: Federal air marshals receive approximately 16 weeks of intense
training upon being hired. Federal air marshals attend a Federal Law
Enforcement Training Center [FLETC] basic course, which is a hybrid
of the FLETC Criminal Investigator Training Program and the FLETC
Uniformed Police Training Program. Upon successful completion of the
basic course, federal air marshals attend a second phase of training at
the FAMS training center in Atlantic City. During this phase, federal air
marshals receive advanced law enforcement training including behavior
recognition, explosives training, interview techniques, defensive measures
and tactics specific to the transportation domain. Our training also
includes advanced firearms training required as a result of FAMS having
the highest qualification standards within federal law enforcement.
Upon completion of initial training, federal air marshals train regularly
at local field offices and in coordination with federal, state and local
law enforcement partners. Our offices are equipped with modern technology
and aircraft simulators, enabling our personnel to stay up-to-date
on tactics and self-defense measures while working in the unique aircraft
environment. This technology and training enables federal air marshals
to respond to the ongoing threats posed by terrorists.
Q: How do federal air marshals work with other law enforcement
agencies to accomplish their mission?
A: The Federal Air Marshal Service works in cooperation with federal,
state and local law enforcement agencies in various aspects of counterterrorism
to successfully carry out our mission. OLE/FAMS partners with
domestic and international agencies to share and discuss best practices in
training, intelligence gathering and sharing, canine training, technology
and threat assessments. Active participation and partnership with other
law enforcement agencies has proven successful in thwarting criminal
and terroristic behavior. Federal air marshals are embedded in multiple
FBI joint terrorism task forces and are aligned with other federal law
enforcement organizations, including Customs and Border Protection.
www.BCD-kmi.com

Following the Madrid train bombing, TSA developed the Visible
Intermodal Prevention and Response [VIPR] program to allow TSA
security and law enforcement assets to augment federal, state and
local law enforcement agencies in the transportation domain. VIPR
teams provide a full range of law enforcement and security capabilities
and work in cooperation with local authorities to provide an
additional security presence during specific alert periods or special
events.
VIPR teams have been extremely successful in serving as deterrents
to mitigate evolving threats. Since the beginning of the program, TSA
VIPR teams have successfully completed more than 26,000 operations
nationwide.
FAMS understands the importance of having strong working
relationships with international stakeholders to combat terrorism. To
maintain open communication and best practices, FAMS hosted the
2012 International In-Flight Security Officer conference. The conference
was attended by 23 international air marshals, representing nine
countries. The focus of the conference was explosives, explosive effects
and countermeasures. U.S. federal air marshal instructors served as
subject matter experts who worked alongside transportation security
specialist-explosives [TSS-E] to present best practices.
Each participant shared positive sentiments at the conclusion
of the conference. The collaboration and communication between
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attendees were powerful reminders of shared air marshal missions and
goals throughout the world.
TSA OLE/FAMS’ mission is successfully carried out by strategically
positioned field offices throughout the nation. Each local field office
deploys federal air marshals to work in multi-modal positions. Federal
air marshals work with local law enforcement agencies to augment
security resources in an effort to provide visible deterrence and detection
capabilities in rail, maritime, pipeline and mass transit environments.
Federal air marshals are deployed onboard U.S. air carriers
bound for domestic and international destinations.
Q: Can you describe some of the programs to locate and identify
dangerous materials that may present a threat to transportation
systems?
A: FAMS currently runs TSA’s K9 training facility located at Lackland
Air Force Base, San Antonio. K9s trained in this program are deployed
to state and local law enforcement organizations throughout the
United States, in addition to providing TSA personnel throughout the
transportation domain with an important tool to locate and identify
dangerous materials.
The TSA Canine Training and Evaluation Section within TSA,
Office of Law Enforcement, FAMS, has expanded significantly over the
www.BCD-kmi.com BCD 1.1 | 5

years as a result of recommendations by the White House Commission
on Aviation Safety and Security, the Security Baseline Working Group
of the Aviation Security Advisory committee, and the events of September
11, 2001. The program is the largest explosives detection canine
program in the federal government.
TSA’s VIPR teams utilize preventative radiological nuclear detection
[PRND] equipment to protect the public throughout the transportation
domain. PRND equipment is used to detect gamma and neutron
radiation in radioactive material. PRND tools are deployed to all VIPR
teams for use in exercises and operations nationwide. The radioisotope
identifier [RIID] utilized by the VIPR teams identifies specific radio
nuclides present in radioactive material. RIID transfers radionuclide
information to offsite technical experts to assist in adjudication. The
technical expertise and support is provided by Customs and Border
Protection’s Laboratories and Scientific Service.
Q: Can you describe some of the challenges faced by TSA’s law
enforcement?
A: TSA’s Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service confronts
new challenges daily. Terrorists continue to evolve and improve
their use of technology, tactics and strategies, as recently noted by the
failed attempt to modify an explosive device placed in underwear. In an
effort to combat new and emerging threats, the law enforcement and
intelligence communities must closely coordinate in order to stay a
step ahead of our adversaries. OLE/FAMS utilizes information from its
law enforcement partners and the intelligence community, via TSA’s
Office of Intelligence and FAMS’ own Information Coordination Section,
to ensure current and relevant intelligence is communicated and
discussed prior to operational missions. Intelligence and law enforcement
information gathered is closely reviewed and tactics and mission
scheduling are reviewed, modified and executed to enhance the effectiveness
and success of federal air marshals onboard aircraft.
Expert intelligence analysis and proper training allow FAMS to
have the greatest impact securing our nation’s transportation domain,
despite having limited resources.
Q: How do you foresee the law enforcement programs expanding over
the next five years?
A: The federal government faces a unique challenge with respect to
managing resources within today’s economic environment. However,
in fiscal year 2011, FAMS received a budget increase of approximately
$100 million to hire several hundred more federal air marshals. This
hiring initiative allowed us to enhance mission coverage and confirmed
the important role FAMS plays in securing the nation’s transportation
domain. I believe it is also an indication that our dedicated, professional
workforce is well respected and a necessary element ensuring the safety
of the traveling public.
Additionally, Congress recently approved funding for several additional
VIPR teams for some of our field offices. Though it has become
evident that terrorists remain intent on attacking aircraft, I believe the
enhancements to our VIPR program indicate that, as an organization,
efforts to detect, deter and defeat terrorist activities cannot be onedimensional.
I believe our law enforcement role within the transportation
domain will continue to utilize resources as effectively as possible
and remain flexible and adapt to any threat.
Q: How are federal air marshals equipped to protect the flying public?
6 | BCD 1.1
A: Federal air marshals are law enforcement professionals, continuously
trained to protect not only the flying public, but those within all
modes of transportation. It should not be forgotten, that in addition to
federal air marshals, TSA employs approximately 50,000 transportation
security officers, 2,800 behavior detection officers, more than 460
bomb appraisal officers and thousands of federal flight deck officers
[FFDOs]. This multi-layered approach to security ensures the greatest
protection to the traveling public.
The FFDO program is run exclusively by FAMS. Pilots who participate
in the FFDO program do so strictly on a volunteer basis. Under the
FFDO program, eligible flight crewmembers are authorized by TSA to
use firearms to defend against an act of criminal violence or air piracy,
in which an attempt is made to gain control of the aircraft. A flight
crewmember may be a pilot, flight engineer or navigator assigned to
the flight.
In December 2003, President George W. Bush signed into legislation
expanded program eligibility to include cargo pilots and certain
other flight crewmembers. In February 2004, TSA began accepting
applications online from cargo pilots and conducted a prototype class
in April 2004. This followed a similar process used to establish the
FFDO program for commercial passenger airline pilots.
FFDOs are trained in use of firearms, use of force, legal issues,
defensive tactics, the psychology of survival and program standard
operating procedures. FFDO training is conducted in state-ofthe-art
facilities at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
facility in Artesia, N.M. The training program is approximately 54
hours in length and is taught over a six-day period. At the completion
of training, FFDOs are issued a TSA firearm and FFDO
credentials.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to say that I have not
asked?
A: The Federal Air Marshal Service has existed in its current state
since shortly after September 11, 2001. Our employees are the most
dedicated professionals I have ever worked with, who perform a difficult
mission. When you think of FAMS, you think of the men and women
operating in a semi-covert capacity onboard aircraft throughout the
world. We recognize that the job these men and women do is the
lifeblood of this organization and work to support them in every facet
possible.
Additionally, as with any organization, there are individuals behind
the scenes that help to make the mission a success. Our mission support
personnel are some of our most valuable assets. Without their
assistance, we would cease to function as an effective organization and
could not be successful in protecting the traveling public.
Furthermore, the relationships that we have established with airline
and airport stakeholders, as well as countless other transportation
security partners, both domestically and internationally, have been
instrumental in accomplishing our mission. Our partners play an integral
role in securing the safety of the traveling public. Their experience
is valued and respected and cannot be replaced.
I should conclude by reiterating that the role of federal air marshals
is one of many layers within TSA’s risk-based security program. We
operate in conjunction with thousands of TSA employees, dedicated
and charged with the mission of protecting the traveling public. Like
a chain, any weak link can potentially lead to a break and threaten the
safety and security of the traveling public. We work together to ensure
all links are secure and reinforced. O
www.BCD-kmi.com

www.BCD-kmi.com
aDvanCes on multiple fRonts.
By H.R. Hogan
BCD CoRResponDent
Most hazardous materials, or hazmat, responses involve
everyday accidents: fuel or chemical spills from overturned
trucks, natural gas leaks from ruptured lines, or mercury rolling
free of containers. As head of the hazmat response team
for the fire department of Houston, the nation’s fourth largest
city and second busiest port, Troy Lilley has learned that
approaching any of these seemingly known materials has to be
done carefully.
BCD 1.1 | 7

First Line Technology’s FiberTect dry decontaminate wipe
contains activated carbon and is used to clean up hazardous
materials. [Photo courtesy of First Line Technology]
8 | BCD 1.1
“You [must be] very cautious. It
may look like water and may act like
water by not evaporating, but it may
not be water. It may be something that
causes cancer 10 years down the road,”
he said.
Lilley added that hazmat response
has come a long way in the last decade,
thanks to evolving techniques and
technology. With regard to the latter,
he’s particularly pleased with federal
grants for purchasing equipment suitable
for hazards ranging from small to
the largest of emergencies. Such gear
can be used for everything from typical
hazmat situations to cases where
chemical, biological, radiological and
nuclear threats are present.
“I think it’s going to benefit the
country,” Lilley said of this all-hazards
approach.
DeContamination
With regard to hazmat response,
one trend has been the development of
new decontamination methods. Some
eliminate water, which can spread a
contaminant beyond an original problem
area. Any water used must also
eventually be cleansed, adding to the
hazmat response burden.
One dry decontaminate comes from
First Line Technology of Chantilly,
Va. The company makes wipes containing
activated carbon, which offers
advantages when cleaning up hazardous
materials.
“It absorbs at a high rate, and the
activated carbon layer holds hazardous
materials, preventing off-gassing,” said
Randy Sakowitz, First Line Technology’s
vice president.
The company’s FiberTect wipes
were originally developed for the military,
and Sakowitz said that the only
hazmat they don’t handle are high
acid concentrations. The wipes, which
sandwich activated carbon between
two needle-punched cloth layers, can
absorb material particulates down to
a particular size. Sakowitz declined
to specify it precisely but did indicate
the particulate dimensions were
microscopic.
Another instance of a new decontaminate
is DeconGel, which is from
Honolulu-based CBI Polymers. A water
soluble, peelable hydrogel, the product
is applied to a surface, where it binds
to and encapsulates radioactive and
chemical contaminants. At the low
end, it removes 75 percent while at
the high end the rate approaches 100
percent, with the amount removed
depending on the contaminant itself.
“DeconGel binds extremely well to
metal contaminants like plutonium,
mercury and beryllium, which typically
show a higher removal rate compared
to other peelable or strippable
coatings,” said Shaun McCabe, president
of CBI’s Asia Pacific Systems.
The product has been used in
Japan in the wake of the nuclear disaster.
McCabe noted that it has performed
well enough to be recommended
for future nuclear and radiological
decontamination.
A third type of novel decontamination
technology comes from Force 1
Decon of Riverside, Calif. The company
makes a series of small volume aqueous
and non-aqueous products that
are packaged in a low footprint tactical
decontamination solution. Mounting
a lower visibility response can be an
important consideration for those who
need to deal with a hazardous material
without attracting too much attention.
“We did do some work with some
Fortune 500 companies, and they specifically
wanted the lower visibility version,”
said Eric Abrahamson, president
of the company.
DeteCtion
Decontamination is easier when
the nature of the hazardous material is
known. That takes detection, and the
trend here is toward field instruments
that can quickly determine hazmat
composition.
Aaron Gagnon is director of product
management at Smiths Detection,
which has its U.S. headquarters in
Danbury, Conn. Gagnon said his company
has a diverse portfolio of detection
technologies, including X-ray
millimeter wave, gas chromatograph
mass spectrometry (GC-MS), Raman
spectroscopy, and Fourier transform
infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). FTIR
powers the company’s hazmat detection
device, which has been modified
extensively from its lab-bound
cousins.
www.BCD-kmi.com

“We’ve made it portable and easy to
use and decontaminatable as well. The
HazMatID is able to identify unknown
materials in a matter of 30 seconds,”
said Gagnon.
In some of its hazmat identification
products, Agilent Technologies
of Santa Clara, Calif., uses GC-MS.
The gas chromatograph separates an
unknown into its constituents, and the
mass spectrometry analyzes it. The key
to making the process fast enough and
the instrument small enough for field
work lies in speeding up the gas chromatograph’s
heat ramp.
“We’re ten-fold faster than we were
previously,” said Graham Robinett, GC/
MS product specialist in Agilent’s federal
business sector.
The resulting instrument is not
handheld but is small enough to be in
a mobile lab that can be deployed near
a hazmat incident. Thus, it allows a
gold standard in identification to be
effectively available on site.
Other identification products come
from Thermo Fischer Scientific of
Waltham, Mass. The company’s portable
analytical instruments business
unit has a line of scientific portable
instruments based on Raman spectroscopy
and FTIR. Both exploit vibrational
spectroscopy to chemically fingerprint
suspect materials, said Maura Fitzpatrick,
senior director for safety and
security products at Thermo Scientific
Portable Analytical Instruments.
The approach compares the recorded
spectra to that of thousands of known
substances, using peak location, height
and width. This identifies a material
with a high degree of accuracy in as
little as 30 seconds.
“One of the things that our instruments
do that is somewhat unique for
this type of handheld spectroscopybased
equipment is that we’re able to
tell you if it’s a mixture,” Fitzpatrick
said.
It can do this for materials of
four or five components, she added.
Like other companies, Thermo Fischer
Scientific offers a reach back service,
with experts standing by to analyze the
readings from an unknown substance.
The business unit’s biggest customer
is the U.S. military. It also sells
to hazmat response units inside and
outside of the federal government.
tying it togetHeR
Finally, another technology advance
is making hazmat response easier.
Many detection instruments exist, but
there is no standard for them to interoperate.
Safe Environment Engineering
of Valencia, Calif., has worked with
the Los Angeles Fire Department and
the Department of Homeland Security
in attacking this problem.
The company’s Life-line Interoperable
Network Communicator attaches
to almost any instrument. Together
with an associated gateway and software,
it offers a solution to a multitude
of issues, not the least of which is the
difficulty of reading instrument displays
while suited up.
“What the hazmat team is seeing
in their instruments is shown
in real-time in the back of the fire
trucks and the hazmat team can act on
that accordingly,” said David Lamensdorf,
Safe Environment Engineering
president.
The data is secure, and the technique
eliminates the need to broadcast
information via the radio, which is
subject to misinterpretation and eavesdropping.
The technology has been
used in a host of events. Since what is
relayed is live data, the response time
in the case of an incident is reduced.
Even with these advances, though,
further improvements are needed. In
particular, the handling of suspect biological
materials is difficult, in part
because the detection technology is
not yet up to the needs of hazmat
responders. The Houston Fire Department’s
Lilley would like to be able to
definitively rule out anthrax or any
other biological agent without having
to wait days for a culture. However,
that lack of a quick answer doesn’t
keep him from doing his job. As he
said, “We use our best educated guess
with the tools that we have.” O
For more information, contact BCD Editor
Brian O’Shea at briano@kmimediagroup.com
or search our online archives for related stories at
www.BCD-kmi.com.
www.BCD-kmi.com BCD 1.1 | 9

SPECIAL SECTION
In the aftermath
of the 2001 terror attacks,
United States Customs and Border Protection
developed a program called the Secure Border
Initiative, a multifaceted, multi-billion-dollar
program that ranged from policy and low-tech fencing
to high-tech surveillance systems and command, control,
communications and intelligence technologies
under a sub-program called SBInet.
SBInet was to build an integrated persistent surveillance
system for the Southwest border from the
ground up. Two increments of SBInet were implemented
on the Southwest border and have been working
well there.
vice president for homeland
security solutions at Elbit
Systems of America. “On the operational
side, they are looking for a proven system that will
assist Border Patrol agents identify, classify and track items of
interest. This allows agents to coordinate a proper response for a
successful mission and, more importantly, their own personal safety.”
The first block of IFT will place towers along the Arizona-
Mexico border, “where it makes the most sense to have them,” said
Borkowski. “The current RFP focuses on Arizona because that part
of the border is still hemorrhaging with traffic illegally
entering between the ports of entry. The rest of the
border is not as bad.”
Raytheon Company has extensive experience in
developing solutions for federal agencies to help maintain
border security.
“Raytheon is a leader in radar, command and control,
and tracking systems, and Raytheon has significant
experience integrating off-the-shelf technology
quickly and effectively in border and critical infrastruc-
But then SBInet ran into management and monture
protection systems,” said TJ Kennedy, director of
etary difficulty, and CBP came up with an alternative Mark Borkowski public safety and security at Raytheon Company.
that would incorporate off-the-shelf technologies into
“One of the most critical benefits of improving the
a surveillance program to replace SBInet. The high-
level of border security through the deployment of
end portion of that concept, which involves mount-
systems such as the Integrated Fixed Tower systems is
ing radars and cameras on interlinked towers at key
providing greater safety for the Border Patrol agents
locations along the border, has now emerged as the
who are out there on the line,” said Kevin Stevens,
Integrated Fixed Towers program, or IFT.
Homeland Security Strategy and Policy, Raytheon
The request for proposals for IFT is now on the
Company, and retired deputy chief, U.S. Border Patrol.
street with a contract award expected later this year.
The fixed towers allow the Border Patrol to “plant
Several companies are considering participating in the
the flag” in key areas of operation so that smugglers
program.
must shift their operations to areas where the Border
“Simultaneously with our dealing with the prob-
Patrol can then react with transportable and mobile
lems of SBInet,” related Mark Borkowski, CBP’s James Norton capabilities. Having the capability to detect activ-
assistant commissioner in the Office of Technology
ity, identify and classify the threat early is key to a
Innovation and Acquisition, “we were approached by
safer, faster enforcement response by Border Patrol
companies that told us they had systems that could
agents.
help us. They might not have everything we were
“In areas where technology doesn’t provide this
looking for, but wouldn’t it be smarter to take an 80
level of situational awareness, Border Patrol agents
percent or 90 percent solution today?” That’s the route
typically respond to border intrusions with very little
CBP chose to take.
information and generally have to identify and classify
“The government is seeking a commercial off-
the threat at the point of interdiction, which is too
the-shelf solution to detect, track, identify and classify
late,” added Stevens. “If the agents are able to deter-
activities at the nation’s Southwest border,” said James
mine what they are up against before they respond,
Norton, vice president, Business Development for Gen-
they will be in a much better position to determine
eral Dynamics C4 Systems Washington Operations. Gordon Kesting how many agents are needed to respond and how they
“It is essential that the solution be proven and rapidly
should arm or equip themselves for a safe and suc-
deployable.”
cessful resolution of the event. They deserve no less, and if industry
“The key theme we are hearing most often is CBP’s desire for can help get them this technology we will be performing a critical
a non-developmental, off-the-shelf solution,” said Gordon Kesting, service.”
10 | BCD 1.1
www.BCD-kmi.com

ProteCting our nation’s BorDers through
the seCure BorDer initiative.
There are also other
CBP programs in the works for
the Southwest border—which would deploy
mobile truck mounted radars and cameras, remote video
surveillance systems, and unattended ground sensors—that are in
various stages of development.
The concept behind IFT is to use radars and cameras to deliver
a one-two punch to illegal border traffic. The radar would detect the
movement of objects of interest in the border area and cue the cameras
to zoom in to take a closer look.
“We expect to be able to identify and characterize the moving
objects,” said Borkowski. “Is it one person or a group of people? Are
they carrying anything? This way we can tell border agents what to
expect so that they can prioritize their responses.”
General Dynamics faced many of the same challenges facing CBP
with SBInet when it deployed the Rescue 21 system on behalf of the
United States Coast Guard. The Rescue 21 system is a network of 32
Coast Guard sector command centers, 167 stations,
and over 260 fixed towers located along U.S. waterways
and the shores of the Great Lakes, Hawaii, Guam, the
U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Using direction
finding technologies and digital communications, the
Coast Guard is able to rapidly respond to emergency
calls from mariners while coordinating with federal,
state and local law enforcement and first responders.
The system supports the Coast Guard’s homeland
security missions that include drug interdiction,
By Peter BuxBaum
BCD CorresPonDent
control system
that provides users with
situational awareness derived from
data transmitted by those tower sensors.
The SRI system, dubbed TerraSight, “presents critical
information from widely distributed sensors in one three-dimensional
common operating picture,” said Mark Clifton, vice president of the
products and services division at SRI. “TerraSight has been deployed
at over 300 sites in Afghanistan and Iraq. The tower sensors look out
over long distances to detect people coming and going, what they look
like, and what they are doing. They operate in a similar environment
to the U.S. Southwest.”
TerraSight is able to take data transmitted from a
variety of sensors and present the user with a picture
of the surroundings in a Google Earth-like view. “We
can use data from any sensor that provides a georeferenced
location,” said Clifton. “This can include radar
data and camera images from tower-mounted sensors
as well as data from unattended ground sensors and
images and video transmitted from unmanned aerial
systems.”
“Elbit has a long track record of providing border
defense readiness, marine environmental protection
security solutions in places like Israel,” said Kesting.
and law enforcement.
Mark Clifton
“We have a proven architecture that would be able
“The integrated fixed towers had to be linked
to host all the sensing technologies for IFT radars
across thousands of miles of shoreline to provide a seamless network,” and cameras. All of these are tied together in a common operating
said Norton. “All the sites were at different elevations, in varied ter- picture.”
rain and with radically different environmental conditions. At some Elbit’s architecture is built on commercial standards that allow
sites, it was necessary for the towers to blend in with the surround- for flexibility as to the sensors that are deployed on the system.
ings, even if it meant making a tower look like a tree, or part of a “Sensor suppliers are starting to build systems based on these open
lighthouse.”
standards,” said Kesting. “We are in a position to provide a solution
Rescue 21 was initiated to replace the Coast Guard’s legacy that meets current needs and evolves or grows with the mission or
National Distress and Response System. Improvements implemented as threats change. The open system architecture allows various tech-
by Rescue 21 include enhanced voice clarity, direction-finding capanologies to be plugged in as needed. These are the capabilities most
bilities, expanded coverage to at least 20 nautical miles offshore, and relevant to IFT.”
interoperability among federal, state and local agency systems.
Kesting confirmed that Elbit will be competing for the IFT con-
“The Rescue 21 program is a great example of a proven solution tract. Clifton and Norton indicated that their companies are consider-
of integrated fixed towers,” said Norton. “For more than a decade, ing doing the same.
we have been working with the Department of Homeland Security CBP’s RFP is structured as a wish list of sensors and capabilities
to assist the Coast Guard in investigating distress calls, responding that the agency would like to see in IFT but, consistent with today’s
to search and rescue cases, and constantly monitoring over 40,600 tight budgets, also with an indication of what is doable. “We’ve indi-
miles of coastline.”
cated the range we’d like to see in the radars and cameras, but also
U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq have constructed networks of what we’re willing to settle for,” said Borkowski. “We’ve described our
surveillance towers around forward operating bases analogous to that dream house but we’ve also let bidders know what we’re willing to
contemplated under IFT. SRI International delivered a command and buy.” O
www.BCD-kmi.com BCD 1.1 | 11

Tactical Communications
Q: What are the initial challenges that
prompted the Tactical Communications
contract to be awarded?
A: The contract was the result of a DHS
Efficiency Review initiative by the Secretary. The Department
of Homeland Security needed a streamlined sourcing vehicle to
leverage the department’s buying power to receive high volume
discounts and the lowest prices possible.
Q: How will the Tactical Communications contract enhance
the communications capabilities of the DHS and other
agencies?
A: This DHS-wide Tactical Communications contract is a
multiple-award indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity [IDIQ]
vehicle specifically designed to be the preferred source for procuring
tactical communications equipment and services. The
DHS has a manageable number of contractors that have passed
a competitive process. Many of these contractors have done a
significant amount of business with DHS and are familiar with
its organizations, requirements and tactical communications
12 | BCD 1.1
meeting seRviCe neeDs—quiCkly, effiCiently anD Cost effeCtively.
JoHn santo, exeCutive DiReCtoR, DHs Joint WiReless pRogRam
architecture. All of them will get a chance to specialize in helping
DHS improve its communications capabilities. Because
contractors have been through a competitive process and will
specialize in serving DHS, they should become adept at quickly
preparing proposals that exploit their strengths. The government
will only need to evaluate proposals from a select group
of qualified contractors. With this contract, DHS has a flexible
means of meeting tactical communications equipment and service
needs—quickly, efficiently and cost effectively.
Q: What will be the process of awarding the individual
contracts among the 30 contract awardees?
A: The contract includes five technical categories [TCs] for
Subscriber Equipment [TC1], Infrastructure Equipment [TC2],
Infrastructures Services [TC3], Operations & Maintenance Services
[TC4] and Test Equipment [TC5]. DHS awarded contracts
to each of 30 contractors in one or more of these TCs. TCs 1,
3, and 4 have two competitive tracks: Small Business—only
small businesses are eligible to compete for orders, and Unrestricted—large
and small businesses are eligible to compete
for orders. All orders are placed by the individual component
www.BCD-kmi.com

or agency contract officer [CO]. If a fair opportunity exception
applies, then the CO prepares the solicitation under a solesource
basis. Otherwise, the CO determines what competitive
track to use. Then the solicitation goes to either small businesses
or both small and large businesses in the appropriate
TC. The solicitations are evaluated, and the CO issues the task
order to the contractor selected for award.
Q: What types of products and solutions will be included in
the Tactical Communications initiative?
A: Available for order are all equipment, supplies and services
related to tactical communications as made commercially
available through the tactical communications contractors.
The scope includes accessories, options, refurbished equipment
and equipment leasing. New equipment and technology
is automatically made available as it is added to the contractors’
commercial catalogs.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to say that I have not
asked?
A: Getting the right contract in place for the entire department
was a joint effort. DHS gathered a team from all of
the department’s tactical communications communities dedicated
to developing requirements and evaluating proposals.
12AUAM0989 • AC-0255
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ON PURPLE
The team included people from U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Customs
and Border Protection, U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Emergency
Management Agency, U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, Transportation Security Administration, Federal
Law Enforcement Training Center, Office of Intelligence and
Analysis, Federal Protective Service, National Protection and
Programs Directorate, Office of the Chief Procurement Officer,
and Office of the Chief Information Officer. The U.S. Secret
Service administers the contract.
The DHS Joint Wireless Program Management Office
[JPWMO] looks for ways to improve tactical communications
program management across DHS. The JWPMO implemented
a procedure for collecting all task order solicitation and award
documents and sharing them with contracting officers and
select technical people across DHS. The JWPMO serves as a
forum for components to socialize all aspects of their tactical
communications programs, including acquisition plans,
upgrade plans, maintenance plans, communication planning
and operations. This forum evaluates and shares best practices,
reduces duplication, leverages DHS infrastructure and ensures
that these programs are consistent with DHS objectives. O
For more information, contact BCD Editor
Brian O’Shea at briano@kmimediagroup.com
or search our online archives for related stories at www.BCD-kmi.com.
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www.BCD-kmi.com BCD 1.1 | 13

Litter System Utilized
to Save Lives
Skedco has been very active in the military/border
patrol and hazmat environment for 30 years, and its litter
system been available on the battlefield for most of that
time. The Sked is a drag stretcher that can be used by
one or more rescuers very efficiently. Skedco also provides
immobilization and flotation with the Sked in a single
bag measuring 9 inches in diameter and 36 inches long
with two side pockets. There are variations of the Sked
for different military environments. The most common is
the PJ Sked and now the Tactical Sked that weighs only 7
pounds and is hoistable.
The Hazmat Decontaminable Mass Casualty (HMD)
Sked is the most popular for CBRNE operations and
evacuation of hospitals or other buildings that have stairwells
or escalators. The HMD Sked features polypropylene straps
that can be changed in the field. It is decontaminable, so
it will not absorb chemicals such as mustard gas. After
decontamination, new straps are installed and they are
staged and ready for an incident. They come in yellow as
well as black for when subdued color is necessary. When
used with the Skyhook winch, it is the most effective system
available for evacuating mass casualties from the hot zone.
This system features the Skyhook winch and continuous
loops of rope, which makes it possible to haul victims out
and send stretchers back into the hot zone.
Bud Calkin;
bud@skedko.com
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program at FEMA
announced that a new library of 20 ready-to-use CERT exercises of all types
is now available for download on the new Drills and Exercises page of the
National CERT website at www.citizencorps.gov/cert/exercises.shtm. The new
materials will help CERT programs conduct a variety of drills and exercises
based on different scenarios.
Drills and exercises are great opportunities for CERT programs to engage
their volunteer members and to practice, assess and improve their program’s
emergency response plans and on-the-ground operations. The scenarios,
objectives and events of each exercise can be used as is or modified to address
14 | BCD 1.1
SECURITY WATCH
Tri-Compliant Armor Vest
Diamondback Tactical, a
leader in tactical armor systems,
announced the industry’s first
tri-compliant concealable armor
vest, the Synergy IIIA. Lighter and
more flexible than most armor
vests, the Synergy IIIA is compliant
to the new NIJ 0101.06-Standard
and tested to FBI and DEA
protocols. The Synergy IIIA is
a hybrid vest design compiled
of proprietary Core Matrix and
performance aramid materials,
weighing 1.07 pounds per square
foot. The combination of its design
and advanced materials makes
the Synergy IIIA one of the most
comfortable Level IIIA vests on the
market. For a concealable wear,
the Synergy IIIA can be paired
with the Dynamic concealable
CERT Drills and Exercises
carrier or any Diamondback
Tactical low profile or tactical
vests. It provides protection against
a variety of known special-threat
rounds and is available in both
male and female designs. Synergy
IIIA is ideal for law enforcement
and tactical operations. The
Synergy IIIA, in conjunction
with Diamondback Tactical’s
other high performance products
such as the N-Force, Thin Blue
Line or advanced MUST Shield,
provide threat-stopping armor
solutions. The complete Synergy
armor line also includes the
high performance NIJ-Certified
Level II Synergy concealable
vest.
Angela Milligan;
amilligan@dbtarmor.com
the local CERT program’s training priorities. Planning exercises and drills does
not have to be a daunting and time-consuming task for CERT programs.
The new web page includes materials for four drills, six tabletop exercises,
four functional exercises, four full-scale exercises and two competitive events
that were developed according to national guidance and principles outlined
by the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program. All drills and
exercises were developed with common terminology and a systematic approach
consistent with the National Incident Management System framework to
ensure that CERT programs are well-integrated with emergency management
and incident response operations.
www.BCD-kmi.com

Mobile Radiation Monitoring Laboratory
Life Safety Systems recently introduced the RadLab, designed
to respond to radiation threat emergencies such as terrorist use of
“dirty bombs” or devices that utilize radioactive elements.
This custom-built vehicle has roving radiation detection
capabilities, fixed site radiation detection and analysis, downwind
hazard prediction software and advanced communications and
computer networking capabilities.
On-board resources include: portable detection and measuring
systems with radio telemetry, meteorological station, stand-alone
diesel generator, personal protection equipment satellite uplink/
downlink, UHF, and VHF radios.
LSSI builds a wide range of custom, mission-specific vehicles
including mobile CBRNE laboratories, NBC Cruiser terrorism response
vehicles, EOD and bomb trucks and border security platforms for use
by the military and civilian first responder communities.
William Conklin;
b@lifesafetysys.com
When defending the border or responding to CBRNE events,
direct communication between all types of responders is critical.
Unfortunately, many first responders can’t talk to each other
because their radios work on different frequency bands. This
inability to talk puts lives and property needlessly at risk.
Thales has solved this problem with its Liberty Multiband
Land Mobile Radio. The radio operates on all first responder
bands ((VHF, UHF and 700/800 MHZ), is compliant with open
standards, and is tough. It’s fully P25 compliant and secure with
DES and AES encryption.
Radio To Help Save Lives
HGH Infrared Systems has introduced the security and surveillance
community to the only real-time, rotating-head, panoramic thermal
imaging camera. The IR Revolution 360 camera provides ultra-wide
360 degree imaging, day and night, without distortion. The panoramic
infrared camera system features a cooled, high resolution thermal
imaging sensor spinning continuously at 1 revolution/sec for total
360 degree azimuth coverage. It can automatically detect and track an
unlimited number of threats simultaneously. This innovative sensor acts
as high resolution “optical radar” and relies on advanced algorithms
for its detection capabilities. The detection is automatic and immediate
and can be applied to wide area surveillance, coastal and border control,
airport/seaport protection and anti-piracy. The IR360 is deployed in
Afghanistan for FOB protection with the PGSS program.
The IR Revolution 360’s Windows-based Cyclope software interface
is easy to learn and intuitive, providing a clear display of the panoramic
image as well as the ability to zoom on areas of interest. The IR
Revolution 360 provides great flexibility in accessing and displaying
The Liberty meets MIL-STD 810 C/D/E/F specifications.
It has a MILSPEC metal housing based on Thales’
experience with battlefield radios. It is submersible to two
meters. Perhaps most important, the radio is Intrinsic
Safe, having been certified to the FM Approval Standard
3610:1988. Intrinsic Safe ensures that the radio can be
operated around hazardous materials and in explosive
environments.
Sheila Gindes;
sheila.gindes@thalescomminc.com
Panoramic Thermal Imaging Camera
Compiled by KMi Media Group staff
thermal imagery of events and intrusions in the 360-degree field of
view. A powerful algorithm performs detection of targets in complex
backgrounds.
Vanessa Couturier;
vanessa.couturier@hgh-infrared.com
www.BCD-kmi.com BCD 1.1 | 15

HOMELAND SECURITY
BORDER SECURITY
BORDER SECURITY AGENTS CAN’T
BE EVERYWHERE AT ONCE.
OR CAN THEY?
Safeguarding borders demands monitoring
that’s grounded in intelligence. Raytheon
delivers fl exible, scalable border surveillance
solutions with fi xed or transportable physical
capability to detect, identify and classify
emerging threats before they can disrupt our
way of life. It’s proven technology, backed
by consulting expertise, to strengthen
our borders today and tomorrow.
INNOVATION IN ALL DOMAINS
www.raytheon.com | Keyword: HLS-Border
Follow us on:
© 2012 Raytheon Company. All rights reserved.
“Customer Success Is Our Mission” is a registered trademark of Raytheon Company.

Border Protector
Q&A
Maintaining Vigilance on Our Nation’s Borders
Michael J. Fisher
Chief
U.S. Border Patrol
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Michael J. Fisher is the chief of the U.S. Border Patrol and a member
of the Senior Executive Service. He is responsible for planning,
organizing, coordinating, and directing enforcement efforts designed
to secure our nation’s borders.
Fisher entered on duty with the U.S. Border Patrol in June 1987 as
a member of Class 208. His first duty assignment as a Border Patrol
agent was at the Douglas Station in the Tucson Sector. He successfully
completed the selection process for the Border Patrol Tactical
Unit (BORTAC) in 1990 and was later selected as a field operations
supervisor for BORTAC in El Paso, Texas. Over a four-year period, he
planned and executed operations throughout the United States and
nine foreign countries. Fisher later served as the deputy chief patrol
agent of the Detroit Sector and as an assistant chief patrol agent in
the Tucson Sector.
During the transition to the Department of Homeland Security in
March 2003, Fisher was appointed deputy director for the U.S. Customs
and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Anti- Terrorism in Washington,
D.C., where he staffed and directed the office during periods
of increased threats and served as the CBP liaison to the inter-agency
intelligence community for anti-terrorist planning and operational
coordination. Fisher later served at Border Patrol Headquarters as an
associate chief and in 2004 was promoted to senior associate chief.
He returned to the field in February 2006 as the deputy chief patrol
agent of San Diego Sector. He was promoted to chief patrol agent of
San Diego Sector in June 2007. He was named acting chief of the
Border Patrol on January 3, 2010, and assumed his current position
on May 9, 2010.
Fisher earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s
degree in business administration. He is a graduate of the Senior
Executive Fellows Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government
at Harvard University. He also completed the Capstone program
at the National Defense University in 2009.
Q: What are the primary challenges and threats of patrolling over
6,000 miles of Mexican and Canadian land borders and 2,000 miles
of coastal waters surrounding the Florida Peninsula and Puerto Rico?
A: Generally speaking, the primary challenge is the lack of information
about those who intend to and have the capability to come across the
border illegally [whether by land or by sea] and not really knowing
what potential threats they pose. That’s one of the things that the
Department of Homeland Security, certainly in a post-9/11 environment,
strives to do each and every day. The end state remains fluid.
It’s just a process whereby we measure the extent to which we are
successful; how we define whether we’re winning or not is really, as
General Petraeus once said, a process. It’s a huge challenge given the
geography: 2,000 miles of border with Mexico and about 4,000 miles
with Canada—it’s a lot of open territory. We are constantly evolving
and striving to adapt to the ever-changing environment in which we
operate and to the evolving and dynamic threats that we face within
this country as it relates to our national security mission.
Q: Can you elaborate on the Secure Border Initiative?
A: The United States Border Patrol is one of three operational components
within U.S. Customs and Border Protection [CBP], the Office
of Field Operations and the Office of Air and Marine [OAM] being the
other two. The Secure Border Initiative focused on three questions:
How do we combine all of the available resources; how do we apply
them to the border; and how do we evolve, as we’re doing now in our
new strategic plan, for the next five years in terms of our border security
mission? We have increased our staffing significantly in the last 10
years, from just over 10,000 in 2002 to over 21,000 today.
Infrastructure along the border has increased as well. At this point,
there are almost 700 miles of primary vehicle and pedestrian fencing
along the border with Mexico and there are more roads and better
access to the border than ever before. The third piece is technology,
both in terms of quantity and quality of technology available to us;
we have more cameras, sensors and monitoring capabilities than ever
before. As we move from a strategy that was resource based to one now
www.BCD-kmi.com BCD 1.1 | 17

that is risk based, we must constantly evolve within that broad border
security initiative framework regarding how we protect this country
against all threats and with more inclusion of our federal, state, tribal
and local law enforcement partners and the local communities that
are within the border areas and are affected by those threats that we
see every day.
Q: Can you elaborate on the Border Patrol’s strategic plan?
A: The Border Patrol Strategic Plan is the second strategy that the
Border Patrol put into practice since CBP was created in 2003. The
original strategy that guided the way we operate along the borders was
written in 2004. In the new strategy, there are two overarching goals
and each of those goals has specific strategic objectives that will carry
the Border Patrol through 2016. We are in the process right now of
building the implementation plan both within the organization at the
leadership and field levels, within the workforce and also within the
security and technology industries. It’s important to get the [technology
industry’s] perspectives about what we’re looking to do over the
next five years. The strategy really involves a strategic shift and changes
some of our strategic imperatives in terms of things that we know we
need to achieve over the next five years, given what we have done since
9/11 and since the evolution of the 2004 strategy.
Q: Can you tell me what the two overarching goals are and what the
objectives of each goal are?
A: The first goal is about our border security mission: What does
it mean in today’s threat environment to secure the border? How
do we transition from a workforce that really doubled the agency’s
size and capability in terms of staffing? What do we do now with
nine unmanned aircraft systems that back in 2004 we were still just
experimenting with? We have things like remote vehicle surveillance
systems; these are ground-based radar systems that have daytime and
nighttime cameras. These give us a whole array of capabilities that we
didn’t have before. The first goal is focused on optimizing our capabilities.
With all of the new technology and more capability in terms of
staffing, how then do we build a strategy for implementation to carry
us through the next five years?
It’s a different scenario than the strategy from 2004, which was
focused on building resources. We knew that we were getting a lot
of enhancements, and so as we were hiring Border Patrol agents and
building roads and fences and as we were acquiring new technology, it
became a show of force: Deploy every available resource and stop the
flow from coming across our borders, whether that was vehicles just
driving across or hundreds and thousands of people on any given day
coming through a very porous border.
The second goal focuses on the organization itself, specifically
the men and women of the agency: How do we build and continue to
mature the workforce? The theme between both goals intrinsic to the
strategy is really identifying, developing and training future leaders of
the Border Patrol. This is critical for us to be able to fully implement
and mature the strategy and create a more secure border. The second
goal also includes writing doctrine. We must formalize the process.
With the size of the organization and the complexity that our border
security, and now national security, mandates require, we have to
actually build doctrine to institutionalize a process by which we would
implement such a strategy. Goal two speaks to these issues, our processes,
our system: How do we do joint and integrated planning and
18 | BCD 1.1
Arizona CBP Operations include aerials of CBP locations, canine inspections, ports of entry and
exit, border patrols, OFO operations and inspections, apprehensions, drug seizures, and check
points. [Photo courtesy of DHS/by Donna Burton]
execution within the organization of CBP, within the department, and
then within a whole of government approach?
Q: How does CBP work with the U.S. military and other federal
agencies?
A: Before CBP in the late ’80s and early ’90s, the military worked along
the border predominantly in a counter-drug mission. During that time,
the U.S. government was doing a lot, like source country interdictions.
Working on the border, the special response teams and the Special
Operations Group within the Border Patrol was working with the military.
The Border Patrol worked with both Title 10 and Title 32 forces.
The Title 10 were the full-time military under orders. We worked with
the U.S. Marine Corps and the 5th and 7th Group Special Forces. We
also worked with Title 32 forces, which is predominantly the National
Guard—the National Guard was deployed back then under specific
funding for DoD counter-drug missions. The military provided much
needed eyes and ears for Border Patrol agents when we didn’t have a lot
of staffing and technology, so they were a force multiplier for us on the
border and it was very effective. That relationship has grown.
Right now, we continue to coordinate very closely with NORTH-
COM [U.S. Northern Command], specifically Joint Task Force-North
[JTF-N] in El Paso, Texas, which is our conduit to the larger combatant
command of NORTHCOM. We provide our border requirements
quarterly to JTF-N, which coordinates military units that volunteer to
source some of those requirements to various locations along our borders.
Currently, we are working with the military through Operation
Phalanx, which started out several years ago with the deployment of
up to 1,200 National Guardsmen along our borders. We have recently
transitioned to helicopters and other types of air support in predominantly
two theaters of operations, one in the Arizona corridor and one
in the South Texas corridor.
Q: How are CBP OAM P-3s utilized for counter-narcotic missions
and what are a few recent mission successes?
www.BCD-kmi.com

A: The P-3 right now, and even over the last year, have historically
been deployed in south Florida; they’re under command and control
of Joint Interagency Taskforce-South [JIATF-S] down there, and are
patrolling the straights there as narcotics come up through Central
America. They also provide a forward looking capability to identify
“pangas” and “go-fast boats” that are smuggling contraband so that we
can then coordinate either with the host country for the interdiction
or launch Coast Guard cutters that may be out in that area if the targets
are close to U.S. shores. The P-3s work predominantly in the transit
area. By all accounts, CBP’s P-3 operations provide the vast majority
of air detection capability for JIATF-S missions. The P-3s patrol in a
42 million square mile area of the Western Caribbean and Eastern
Pacific, known as the Source and Transit Zone, in search of drugs that
are in transit towards U.S. shores. In the first half of fiscal year 2012,
they have detected more than 36,000 pounds of cocaine worth $2.6
billion. In FY11, they were responsible for the detection of 12 of the
15 self-propelled semi-submersible events intercepted by JIATF-S, and
accounted for more than 68 percent of all JIATF-S seizures.
Q: How is CBP working with local law enforcement and Mexico to
prevent violence from crossing into U.S. territory?
A: Working with our state, local, tribal and federal partners has always
been an important component to border security, and we will continue
to do joint planning and joint execution with those partners. In many
cases, the jurisdictions along the southwest border and many places
along the northern border get grant money from the Department of
Homeland Security through a program called Operation Stonegarden.
In a risk-based approach, the Secretary of Homeland Security
allocates grant money out to the states, whether it’s a sheriff’s office
or a local police department that operates in and around the border
environment. Those local law enforcement entities do joint planning
and joint deployments with Border Patrol agents; the grant money is
used in that regard.
We continue to plan with many entities within Mexico; we work
with the Secretariat de Sguridad Publica [SSP], which is the equivalent
to the federal police in Mexico. We also work with the Secretariat
de Defensa Nacional [SEDENA], which is part of their military. We
coordinate with the local commanders of SEDENA—they have one
star generals that are in command of local garrisons in Mexico and
some of their areas of operations are in close proximity to the border.
We also want to be able to let them know about areas of high risk along
our border so that they will be able to match deployment. That might
be in the form of checkpoints in Mexico leading up to the staging areas
along the border. We will also work in the same regard with SSP to
do joint patrols along the border so those areas of exploitation aren’t
being used by the smuggling organizations that own and operate the
plazas in Mexico.
Q: Can you discuss how enhanced tactical communications will
benefit CBP operations?
A: In any operation, communication is critical—whether you’re talking
in the open or certainly in the encrypted environment, which is
how most of our agents are operating right now. Tactical communications
for us is everything from pushing both voice and data across
broader bandwidth. This provides our agents with a greater sense of
situational awareness and to be able to provide a common operating
picture for the decision-makers in the field to get a broad sense of
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www.BCD-kmi.com BCD 1.1 | 19

what’s happening; to be able to deploy and re-deploy resources against
the greatest risks.
Q: With the recently passed FAA re-authorization act, clearing
domestic airspace for widespread UAS use, how will this benefit
CBP’s aerial surveillance capabilities?
A: It’s critical; without the certificates of authorization granted by the
FAA, we wouldn’t be able to operate in any airspace. CBP currently
has coverage along the southern border from the Arizona state line
all the way east and south through Texas, and two ground control stations
that operate both launch and recovery operations. One is in Fort
Huachuca, Ariz., and the other one is in Corpus Christi. We have one
on the northern border in North Dakota, which gives us the ability to
launch and recover up north as well.
During the last flooding of the Red River, CBP’s Predators were able
to provide much-needed downstreaming video to the first responders
and rescuers to get a sense of what the area looked like and how
to deploy, so it was a really good tool for the leadership. CBP has an
agreement with FAA in areas where we may not have a certificate of
authorization to fly. There are protocols in place that, given certain
circumstances from a national security standpoint, we can get waivers
to fly in those areas on a case by case basis.
Q: Can you describe the training program that is offered by the
Border Patrol Academy for new Border Patrol agents?
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A: Our basic academy for Border Patrol Agents is in Artesia, N.M. It’s a
55/40 program, meaning the first 55 days covers all the certifications
and instruction that most law enforcement personnel get: firearms
training, law studies, driver training and physical standards training.
After successful completion of the first 55 days of training, Border
Patrol agents transition to Spanish language training and must
pass a language proficiency test. When an agent passes the language
test, he/she rotates to his/her assigned station and will be part of the
field training unit and complete the one year probation. If a border
patrol agent is not able to pass the language proficiency test, he or
she would stay at the academy for an additional 40 days of language
proficiency training, and then go to their field training units in the
field.
Q: What are the C4ISR priorities for U.S. Border Patrol?
A: The priorities for the Border Patrol are high-risk areas. In our
world, the high-risk areas are where we know people and/or contraband
are entering illegally in between the ports of entry. It could
be a priority based on geography, it could be a priority based on a
high value target. If we have information that leads us to believe an
individual or group of individuals is intending to cross in a particular
area, that will drive our priorities. It’s really driven by information
and intelligence which identifies those areas and individuals that we
want to look at and need to be able to identify and classify. This type
of information would make up target decks—for our Predator Bs, for
instance. Once you have the information, the next thing is integration.
We’re really talking about joint planning and execution against
some of those areas or targets. The third piece, rapid response, is the
capability to deploy manpower and resources to those areas of highest
risk.
Q: With all this new array of technology and capability, what is
the most beneficial for our national security and border security
mission?
A: The Border Patrol agent. Think of it in terms of the “last 50 feet.”
We have within this organization an increase in technology. We have
stuff that, quite frankly, I didn’t think I’d ever see in my career as a
Border Patrol agent. I think a lot of people think about the technology,
whether it’s the Predator Bs, the radar systems—we’ve got more
feeds on things that are happening out there, so I think a lot of people
tend to think that we just need more of that. But when you think
of the last 50 feet, it matters not what type of sensing and queuing
capability we have. It doesn’t matter whether we have primary fence
or secondary fence. It doesn’t matter how many unattended ground
sensors we have. Because at the end of the day, in order to identify
and classify and stop a particular threat—individuals who are coming
between the ports of entry for a variety of reasons, some of whom
want to do harm to this country—it’s going to take a Border Patrol
agent getting out of a vehicle, dismounting from a horse, or being
inserted by a helicopter to close that last 50 feet to be able to identify,
classify and stop that threat. There is no technology that I have seen
that’s going to be able to close that 50 feet other than the Border
Patrol agents. In my estimation, they are and will continue to be the
most valuable asset that we have in this organization, which is the
primary reason that identifying, developing and training future leaders
of this organization is so critical and thematic throughout our
strategic plan. O
www.BCD-kmi.com

By BRian o’sHea
BCD eDitoR
Counter Drug
Operations
oam’s p-3 pRogRam pRoves vital to minimize tHe amount of naRCotiCs enteRing ouR
BoRDeRs.
Tracking and coordinating the intervention of a billion dollars
worth of cocaine is a worthy feat for any federal agency
working to prevent narcotics from entering the United States,
and it happens to be something that U.S. Customs and Border
Protection’s (CBP) Office of Air and Marine (OAM) does on a
regular basis. A big part of that capability relies on the use of
OAM’s P-3 aircraft operations, which accounted for the disruption
and seizure of over 148,000 pounds of cocaine in fiscal
year 2011 with an estimated street value of $11.1 billion and
intercepted three self-propelled semi-submersibles.
The OAM operates 14 Lockheed Orion P-3 patrol aircraft.
OAM P-3s are high-endurance, all-weather, tactical turbo-prop
aircraft, which are utilized primarily for long-range patrols
along the U.S. border and in the drug transit zones. CBP P-3
aircraft provide the bulk of their time conducting long-range
surveillance, information gathering and interdiction missions
in support of the Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S).
“This is a Cold War aircraft,” said Lothar Eckhardt, executive
director of National Air Security Operations (NASO), Office
of Air and Marine, Customs and Border Protection. “Back in the
days of the Cold War, when the U.S. Navy was tracking nuclear
submarines from the Soviet Union, they came up with the P-3
because it is a great all-weather aircraft. It has a high endurance
time, it can stay up for 10 hours, it can fly low—which is
where you need to be to get these guys—for a long period of
time. It’s a workhorse airplane and it’s ideal to do that. It can
www.BCD-kmi.com BCD 1.1 | 21

get slow enough in a high endurance mission or it has great
dash speeds to get to an area to intercept and aircraft that’s
coming to the United States with dope on it.”
Of those 14 OAM P-3s, there are two types: the Lockheed
Orion P-3B Airborne Early Warning (AEW) and the Lockheed
Orion P-3 Long Range Tracker (LRT). OAM currently operates
eight AEWs and six LRTs. As part of the counter drug strategy,
P-3s track drugs from the source zone, through the transit
zone and all the way to the arrival zone. The source zone would
be somewhere in South America where most of the coca is
grown and produced. The transit zone is the surrounding body
of water, and then coming up to the southwest border, southeastern
border and the Gulf of Mexico is the arrival zone. Loads
of dope are large in the source zone and then get broken up into
smaller and smaller loads as they go through the transit zone
and even smaller in the arrival zone, all the way down to street
deal-size amounts, said Eckhardt.
“That’s the theory, get the large loads as much as you can,”
he added. “That’s the first part of defense in-depth. And then
we have medium range aircraft like the Dash 8 and the Super
King Air Multi-Enforcement Aircraft, and they get the next
wave coming into the arrival zone. So that way, by the time
the Border Patrol is on the border, the FBI, DEA and all those
involved with counter-drugs work in the United States, there’s
less dope for them to deal with.”
onBoaRD teCHnology
AEW Detection and Monitoring aircraft are the only dedicated
law enforcement AEW aircraft in the world. They were
developed to provide wide area search, increased command
control, and communications capabilities. The LRT is designed
to intercept and track airborne smuggling threats. LRT aircraft
often fly in tandem with the AEW. Used in this manner, the
AEW detects and tracks multiple targets and the accompanying
LRT intercepts, identifies and tracks those suspect targets. That
was the case until the creation of SeaVue Radar, a long-range
maritime search radar, a couple of years ago. Since the integration
of SeaVue, they can now conduct operations with just one
aircraft.
“Back in the day before SeaVue was invented, we used to go
out in what’s called a ‘double eagle’ package; this is why [CBP]
was so good at looking for and finding dope,” said Eckhardt.
“The AEW and the LRT would take off together. The AEW would
go to the patrol boxes up high and point out all of the radar
targets for the LRT, which would stay low. The AEW would give
22 | BCD 1.1
a radar vector to the LRT and the LRT would stay low and visually
identify all the contacts. When SeaVue came out, we were
able to split the double eagle package. What we did was put the
electro optics [EO] on the AEW so that way it can go out and
find contacts and visually identify them themselves. So now
we can cover much more area than we could with the double
eagle package for a cheaper price. Getting the taxpayers some
value there.”
The AEW is equipped with an APS-145 radar, not the SeaVue
Radar, which is the same one used on the Navy’s E-2 Hawkeye.
While flying, the AEW can cover an area the size of Pennsylvania
with one sweep of its radar.
“So where the Navy tuned it for the battle group scenario
looking for ships and cruise missiles inbound, the whole nine
yards, our contractors tuned it for looking for small boats, maritime
environments and low flying airplanes,” said Eckhardt.
The LRT is equipped with two radars, an APG 66, which is
an air-to-air search radar, and the SeaVue Radar. Armed with
the tools and technology necessary to carry out its mission, the
P-3 is a pilot favorite.
“For every flight hour we fly, there’s 26 pounds of cocaine
we put on the table,” said Eckhardt. “This airplane is [the] old
reliable. It gets people out of station safely and gets us home
safe. I love this airplane.”
In addition to the extensive reach of the P-3’s radar, they are
equipped with state-of-the-art communications systems including
VHF, UHF, HF, SATCOM and iridium satellite phones to
contact people via landlines. EO and infrared (IR) sensors play
a part in the P-3’s roles as well, in that they can visually locate
targets during daytime or nighttime operations.
CuRRent anD futuRe upgRaDes
OAM is in the process of “re-winging” all of the P-3s. The
average age of OAM’s P-3s is 46 years old and coming to the end
of service life. In 2005, OAM was finding cracks in the wing.
Upgrades needed to take place, which is by far less expensive
than purchasing brand new aircraft. Re-winging the aircraft
will add a minimum of 15,000 flight hours or approximately
18-20 more years of service.
“When you get to that situation [aircraft going beyond service
life], you send them into what’s called heavy maintenance,”
said Eckhardt. “They’ll bring them into a rework facility and
they do non-destructive inspection on them, like X-ray and
dyes and look for cracks and they’ll repair cracks. The airplane
comes out with patches on the wings and they’ll get into the
www.BCD-kmi.com

wing tank, put a doubler on where there was a crack. It’s an
accepted way of doing aviation maintenance, but after a while,
when you start to repair the repairs, it gets to be too much.
There’s a point where you just can’t repair that wing any more.
That’s the point we’re at.”
Once the re-winging is completed, OAM is looking to standardize
the fleet. This includes cockpit set up—not all planes
have the same configuration—and EO/IR balls, also not standardized
within the fleet. Once that is complete, Eckhardt said,
the mission systems would have to be upgraded.
“The mission system is the guts of the airplane, the computers
that run and integrate the EOIR to radar contact, the ball
and optics can zoom in on contacts,” he said. “It allows all of
the different sensors to talk to each other. There’s a mission
computer that keeps track of the position of the airplane on a
map so you know where you are and plots targets on that map.
A lot of things happen in the background on that airplane. So
the mission system is probably going to need an update within
the next few years. We always have to access new technology;
there might be stuff on the horizon that might be perfect for
us, we just don’t know yet.” O
For more information, contact BCD Editor
Brian O’Shea at briano@kmimediagroup.com
or search our online archives for related stories at www.BCD-kmi.com.
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www.BCD-kmi.com BCD 1.1 | 23
EEOC/AA

24 | BCD 1.1
maintaining suRveillanCe oveR RuRal anD uRBan teRRain.
By HenRy CanaDay
BCD CoRResponDent
www.BCD-kmi.com

The Department of Homeland Security hopes to make
two to three firm-fixed-price awards for demonstration of
a wide area aerial surveillance system (WAASS). WAASS’s
primary objective is persistent, long-term surveillance of
urban and rural terrain of at least 16 square kilometers.
John Appleby, WAASS program manager at DHS, said
that separate firms may supply competitive applications,
and these may apply to both land and marine surveillance,
although the priority is land surveillance. “They
may overlap or one may be land and one may be marine.”
After award, DHS will field-test applications, perhaps
in several phases. “This is an operational test, not
developmental,” Appleby emphasized. Then DHS would
“socialize” the applications with important units, such
as Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Coast
Guard (USCG).
Important criteria for selection include quality of
technology and ease of adaptation. “It must be easy
to insert into our data management system, which is
already in place,” Appleby stressed. “Level of effort for
fielding is also important, as DHS wants to field WAASS
soon. We do not want something that will take four to
five years. We want operation in a year or two, something
good but not a Cadillac, and then we can improve it in
the future.”
Cost is also important, so using military or off-theshelf
components would be helpful.
The military uses large and high-definition images,
which require huge databases and data-transmission
capabilities. “They have lots of people to do quick-turnaround
analytics,” Appleby noted. “We are constrained
by budgets and do not have as many people.” DHS also
wants to do forensic analysis, analyzing images after capture.
“So it would help if there is automated software and
streamlined data management.”
DHS hoped to issue the request for proposal in
mid-May 2012 and award contracts by late summer or
early fall. “There is lots of pressure to get it fielded in
a year or two, so we will tend to look at mature technologies,
already used by other agencies or at a high
level of reliability,” Appleby said. “We are hoping it will
not cost many millions.” There will be no set-aside
for small business as there are already so many other
parameters.
WAASS must integrate with current DHS capabilities,
including USCG capabilities and DHS cameras and imagers
on poles. “It might cue these sensors,” Appleby said.
WAASS will look for illegal intrusions by humans,
vehicles and other equipment, detecting these and helping
DHS decide if intrusions require response or cueing
other sensors. A demonstration was done with a team led
by Logos Technologies and including L-3 Communications,
which detected and helped send back a thousand
illegal immigrants in one week.
www.BCD-kmi.com BCD 1.1 | 25

WAASS must fit within the size, weight and power capabilities
of an Orion P-3 or Predator B unmanned aerial system (UAS). “We
named these two platforms to suggest we can’t use huge Global
Hawks because they are too expensive and big,” Appleby said. “We
would like to use WAASS on many small to medium aircraft but not
on huge UASs. It could also be used on fixed and aerostat platforms.
We would like flexibility so we can use it on many platforms.” DHS
wants WAASS to be already integrated, or easily integrated, on
necessary platforms.
WAASS will need electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) sensors
for day and night surveillance. “We need to look at radar too,”
Appleby noted. “It needs to be all-weather.”
Integration of WAASS with CPB and USCG systems could be
expensive. “They might take it as a service for a while, and then
integrate it later on their own,” Appleby said.
Wide area surveillance systems now used by the military tend to
be heavy, 500 to 1,000 pounds, and mostly used for forensic surveillance,
explained Chuck Willoughby, senior program manager at L-3
Integrated Optical Systems.
L-3 IOS has concentrated on tactical wide-area surveillance,
for which coverage is generally limited to the area of battalion
operations. “We wanted a system that was affordable, provided
coverage in real time and could ‘chip’ out a video stream for
ROVER [Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver], One System
Remote Video Terminal and VideoScout handheld devices,”
Willoughby explained.
The Office of Naval Research sought a surveillance system
for the RQ-7 Shadow 200 UAS with Tactical Common Data Link
(TCDL). L-3 IOS and another company were selected for the project
two years ago and L-3 was down-selected to continue with the
program, UltraWide, in December 2011.
The key technology is mid-wave infrared (MWIR) focal plane
array with a very large format, 4,096 by 4,096 pixels, or 16 megapixels.
A single camera weighs just 50 to 60 pounds and is stabilized
with a trunnion so it can keep focus as the UAS continues flight.
L-3’s Instant Situational Awareness Wide Field of View (ISAW)
device did test flights in July 2011 on a Cessna 208 Caravan. It can
send video streams to ROVERs or VideoScouts.
“We are looking to apply it to other aircraft,” Willoughby said.
“We hope we can put it on Wescam turrets, MX-15 size and above.”
ISAW could be combined with other cameras in turrets and put
on the RQ-1 Predator, the MQ-1C Grey Eagle, manned aircraft or
aerostats.
ISAW can do border security on land and broad area maritime
surveillance on P-8 Poseidons or UASs like MQ-8 Fire Scout. Willoughby
argued that border security requires a mix of devices and
platforms including aerial and aerostat.
MWIR cameras see in day and night but are not all-weather sensors
like radar. “ISAW can see through haze, but for all weather you
would want to augment with radar,” Willoughby explained.
ISAW typically covers a square kilometer on 16 megapixels,
yielding resolution of a quarter meter, “good for detection and
tracking personnel,” Willoughby said. ISAW usually flies at 7,500
feet. Coverage can be expanded with altitude, but resolution
declines. Other systems use multiple cameras for wider fields,
but this increases weight and requires stitching images together,
unlike UltraWide’s single camera.
L-3 IOS is developing UltraWide for the Shadow by 2015 or
2016. It plans to increase the array to 64 megapixels.
26 | BCD 1.1
“It’s the most economic technology, the most compact and has
the least data burdens,” Willoughby summarized. Since data transmission
is a challenge, ISAW can chip out a section of the image,
640 by 640 pixels selected by the user, for streaming to the ground.
Automating selection may be practical for maritime surveillance
with little clutter, but would be tough for land images with many
moving objects. L-3 wants to develop zoom capabilities.
L-3 IOS is developing ISAW variants for pods and insertion in
MX-15 turrets. Variants would typically operate between 15,000
and 20,000 feet and could be cued by other sensors—for example,
signals intelligence that can locate but not view surveillance targets.
ISAW itself could cue ‘soda straw’ sensors for a closer look
at targets to determine intent. Other L-3 divisions have developed
ISR platforms for lease by customers as ‘surveillance by the hour.’
Persistent Surveillance Systems (PSS) has a teaming agreement
with Goodrich and has produced a new generation of both airborne
and ground-based wide-area surveillance sensors, designed to be
affordable, turn-key solutions.
PSS provides both EO and IR systems to track vehicles and
people over areas up to 25 square miles. Its surveillance technologies
can monitor entire cities and borders at resolutions allowing
tracking of vehicles and people, according to Lisa Beam, director
of external relations.
PSS’s systems can integrate with existing cameras to enhance
image analysis of forensic data for many uses, including border
security.
Beam said nearly all full motion video-based surveillance has
so far been limited by low resolution and narrow field-of-view.
“Traditional surveillance sensors, such as camera balls and video
cameras, are not very effective because they depend on looking in
the right spot to capture an event,” Beam said. But PSS uses wide
area survey mode or persistent stare mode to allow wider fields of
view. “All data is archived so events can be analyzed in real time or
forensically to recreate the sequence of events.”
According to Beam, PSS has developed systems that provide
a field of view equivalent to nearly 300 full motion video cameras
normally found on surveillance aircraft. PSS’s Hawkeye, Hawkeye
II and Nighthawk deliver real-time, high-resolution imagery for
tracking individuals and vehicles in very large areas. An intuitive
tracking system, I-View, allows multiple users to monitor several
events simultaneously.
The first-generation Hawkeye offers 88 megapixels resolution
in black and white, typically covering four miles by four miles.
Hawkeye II offers 192 megapixels of three-color images over an
area up to five by five miles. The Nighthawk is an EO and MWIR
sensor for day and night. Inherent EO resolution is 22 megapixels,
with four megapixels for MWIR. Step-stare quadruples MWIR resolution
to 88 and 16 megapixels.
All PSS systems have easy-to-use interfaces, can store hours
of imagery and support up to 10 remote user stations. PSS also
offers full-service solutions, including PSS aircraft, pilots, on-air
image processors, real-time downlinks, command centers and user
stations, secure data server and storage, on-site technical support,
training and analysis. O
For more information, contact BCD Editor
Brian O’Shea at briano@kmimediagroup.com
or search our online archives for related stories at www.BCD-kmi.com.
www.BCD-kmi.com

The advertisers index is provided as a service to our readers. KMI cannot be held responsible for discrepancies due to last-minute changes or alterations.
BCD RESOURCE CENTER
aDVertIsers InDex CalenDar
Ashford University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
www.military.ashford.edu/cbrne
Border Management Conference & Technology Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
www.bordertechexpo.com
Elbit Systems of America, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C4
www.elbitsystems-us.com
Empire State College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
www.esc.edu/military
G4S International Training Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
www.g4siti.com
Idaho Technology Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
www.bio-surveillance.com
Raytheon Company (NCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
www.raytheon.com
Skedco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
www.skedco.com
June 26-27, 2012
2012 CCRA Exhibition
Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
www.chemical-corps.org/cms/blog-layout/37-frontpage-news/181-2012-ccra-conf.html
July 23-25, 2012
Border Management Summit North
Seattle, Wash.
www.bordermanagementsummit.com/event.
aspx?id=724988
August 1-3, 2012
Department of Defense Fire & Emergency Services
Conference
Denver, Colo.
http://s36.a2zinc.net/clients/iafc/dod12/public/
mainhall.aspx?id=3447
www.BCD-kmi.com BCD 1.1 | 27

Since 1998, Idaho Technology has fielded
sensitive and reliable biosurveillance products
that span the range of operations from
the lab to the field, and from clinical diagnostics
to environmental surveillance.
Q: Who is Idaho Technology and how do you
help with the mission of the Department of
Homeland Security?
A: Idaho Technology Inc. [ITI] is a privately
held molecular diagnostics company that
specializes in supplying easy-to-use biological
identification systems. Over the past 22 years,
we have developed and patented cuttingedge
technology for analyzing and detecting
genetic material and licensed our technology
to notable diagnostic companies such as
Roche Diagnostics. We also have an extensive
history working with the U.S. government
and we supply key components for U.S.
biosurveillance initiatives, the most notable
being the Joint Biological Agent Identification
and Diagnostic System [JBAIDS], which
is the biothreat identification and diagnostics
standard for the U.S. military. We collaborate
with other U.S. agencies such as Health
and Human Services and the Department
of Homeland Security to provide biosurveillance
tools to first responders that allow them
to more effectively protect U.S. citizens. Firefighters,
hazmat, police, military and public
health use our equipment to quickly and
reliably identify biological threats.
Q: Why should we be concerned about a
biological attack?
A: A biological attack is the most probable
and potentially has the highest impact when
compared to other attack scenarios. Sure,
a nuclear bomb will cause devastation, but
the probability of a nuclear attack is very
low since nuclear materials are very difficult
to obtain. In contrast, it is relatively easy
to carry out a biological attack since many
threat agents occur naturally in the environment
and only trace amounts of materials
are required to cause harm. And the potential
impact can be enormous along with
the threat to national security, considering
that some pathogens can spread quickly
28 | BCD 1.1
INDUSTRY INTERVIEW Border & CBRNE Defense
Lou Banks
BioSurveillance Marketing Manager
Idaho Technology Inc.
throughout the population and lead to fear
and paranoia fueled by the inability to detect
infection until symptoms manifest days later.
This is precisely why numerous intelligence
agencies have warned of an impending biological
attack and the U.S. government through
various presidential initiatives has formulated
a National Strategy for Countering Biological
Threats.
Q: How does Idaho Technology support the
National Strategy for Countering Biological
Threats?
A: A key component of the U.S. biosurveillance
strategy is to provide accurate and
timely information on current and emerging
threats. Threats can be identified in a
number of operational scenarios from field
environmental samples to clinical samples
in a lab. Idaho Technology offers a suite of
biosurveillance systems to cover all these
operational scenarios. For field applications,
Razor EX provides a reliable and fast platform
for identifying bioterrorism threats. It
employs the same real-time PCR technology
used in Public Health Labs, but designed for
use by non-scientific personnel to identify
10 category A and B biothreats in 30 minutes.
JBAIDS resides in a garrison setting
and allows sophisticated users to have the
system flexibility and throughput needed to
test a multitude of samples for many targets.
Idaho Technology’s newest instrument, The
FilmArray, is designed for fixed or mobile
labs to analyze clinical samples for panels
of pandemic and public health pathogens of
interest.
Q: How does your equipment aid the field
incident commander?
A: Incident commanders are put in a tough
situation. Public health can take days to
definitively identify a suspected biological
agent and meanwhile, they are charged with
keeping the public safe while balancing economic
concerns—it is very expensive to shut
down a building or an airport terminal. Razor
EX provides fast, reliable results and this
information taken with other information
gathered at the scene helps in making better
decisions. Suspected biological samples will
still be sent to the lab for confirmatory analysis,
but presumptive results allow incident
commanders to posture a response while they
wait for results from the lab and ultimately
lead to a faster response, which saves lives.
Q: What are some of the challenges associated
with biological detection?
A: Most agencies have great capability for
chemical or radiation testing in the field, but
are under-prepared for detecting biological
threats. Many mistakenly assume biological
identification can be performed like chemical
detection, where you obtain a signature and
compare it to a library of known signatures.
However, biological detection is much more
complex. First of all, we are surrounded by
biological materials and it is a challenge to
distinguish between intentional attacks and
what occurs naturally in the environment.
One approach is to use antibodies specific for
threat agents; these are the hand-held assays
[HHAs] that resemble pregnancy tests. HHAs
can be useful but lack sensitivity and the false
positive rate increases with added sensitivity.
PCR-based systems, such as Razor EX, detect
unique genetic material, DNA or RNA, specific
to threat organisms and are generally more
sensitive and reliable. Traditionally, PCR has
been relegated to labs since it requires trained
lab technicians measuring precise amounts
of refrigerated reagents and taking proper
precautions not to contaminate tests. We
considered theses limitations of PCR when
designing a field system for first responders.
Our field solution, Razor EX, uses a sealed
pouch system pre-loaded with freeze-dried
PCR reagents. Users do not need special training;
they simply load the sample into the
pouch and insert it into the instrument. O
www.BCD-kmi.com

nexT ISSuE
COVER AND IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW WITH:
LEADERSHIP INSIGHT
Biometrics:
In the Enhanced Border Security
and Visa Entry Reform Act of
2002, Congress mandated
the use of biometrics in U.S.
visas. Traditionally referring
to fingerprints, biometrics also
include facial or iris scans that
are used to identify international
travelers traveling to the U.S.
Rafael Borras
Under Secretary for Management
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Leadership Perspective from JPEO-CBD
SPECIAL SECTION
Supply Chain
Security:
The Department of Homeland
Security’s strategy for supply
chain security aims to promote
the efficient and secure movement
of goods, foster a global supply
chain system that can withstand
evolving threats and hazards, and
is prepared for rapid recovery
from disruptions.
September 2012
Volume 1, Issue 2
Northern Border Strategy:
Through the continued use of technology including thermal camera systems, mobile surveillance systems,
remote video surveillance system and approximately 500 percent more Customs and Border Protection
since 9/11, DHS’s three goals of this strategy include deter and prevent terrorism, smuggling, trafficking
and illegal immigration; safeguard and encourage the efficient flow of lawful trade and travel; and
ensure community safety and resiliency before, during and after terrorist attacks.
FEATURES
Radiation Detection
& Protection:
In case of a nuclear attack or
natural disaster, multiple federal
agencies including Federal
Emergency Management Agency,
the U.S. Coast Guard and the
Department of Homeland Security
are trained and equipped to
detect, respond and protect those
exposed to radiological threats.
Insertion Order Deadline: August 20 • Ad Materials Deadline: August 27

ProvEn TEChnoLogy.
ProvEn SECurE.
Border Security Technology by Elbit Systems of America
no matter the threat … no matter the situation, Elbit Systems of America’s
border security technology is proven to meet the demand.
Elbit Systems of America is ready to bring the same advanced command &
control architecture used on some of the most challenging borders in the world
to the u.S. border. Designed for low life cycle cost, high reliability, and ease
of maintenance, Elbit Systems of America’s open system architecture allows
integration with a variety of sensors to meet current needs and accommodate
future growth.
Elbit Systems of America’s border security technology. operationally tested
on the u.S. southwest border … ready for deployment.
www.elbitsystems-us.com
Copyright © 2012 Elbit Systems of America, LLC. All rights reserved. The Spirit of Innovation ®