PNNL

In the wake of cascading effects resulting from nationwide outages, there was a lot to discuss at the 2024 National Homeland Security Conference held in Miami, FL, July 23–25, 2024. Keynote speakers emphasized the dire consequences the outage posed to critical infrastructure like power, water, and transportation. This, combined with other emerging threats like cyberattacks and natural disasters, is just a snapshot of what emergency managers deal with on a daily basis.

Fortunately, researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) came prepared. Throughout the week, the team spoke on a series of panels sharing how partnerships and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) can play a key role in emergency management preparedness and response.

“Disruptive technological challenges are always top of mind for this event. This year’s timing in particular spurred valuable conversations about how real the threat is and how science and technology can improve preparedness in the future,” said Ryan Eddy, PNNL director of homeland security programs.

Exploring AI and emergency management

The panel “The Future is Now: How Artificial Intelligence Can Support Emergency Management Today” presented to a packed house on the future of AI and emergency response. The panel opened with an overview of the Emergency Management of Tomorrow Research (EMOTR) Program, in which PNNL has partnered with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) to conduct research on strengthening and reimagining the future emergency response structure. The panel was moderated by Dan Cotter, executive director for the DHS S&T's Office of Science and Engineering, and featured panelists Jon Barr, PNNL senior research engineer; Mark Sloan, homeland security and emergency coordinator for Harris County, Texas; and Chris Lombard, assistant chief of resource management for the Seattle Fire Department.

“AI is enabling exciting change in how emergency management is done, but it requires a whole-of-community approach to get there. This panel was a great discussion of the policy, testing, and overall implementation challenges we face in bringing this tool into practice,” said Barr, the EMOTR AI task lead. Reports summarizing the EMOTR Program are available here.

Partnering for preparedness

Eddy moderated the panel “Partnering for Preparedness with National Laboratories,” which focused on what it means to have a national laboratory “in your backyard” when it comes to partnering. The panel featured Ann Lesperance, director of PNNL’s Northwest Regional Technology Center and joint appointee with the College of Social Science and Humanities Programs at Northeastern University in Seattle; Heather Kelly, emergency manager for the City of Kirkland; and Sharon Wallace, the deputy director for the Washington Military Department Emergency Management Division. Panelists shared how efforts like the Northwest Regional Technology Center are bridging gaps between science and technology and public safety needs. The presentation included a short video showcasing regional stakeholders underscoring the effects of partnering both regionally and nationwide.

“Recent events demonstrated our dependence on technology and the cascading effects that can have,” said Wallace. “Partnerships play a pivotal role in our ability to respond to such widespread events.”

“Partnerships come from ideas of all sizes. National laboratories like PNNL are ready to partner and they’re just a phone call away. Call them,” added Kelly. 

Science for evolving threats

The conference spanned the spectrum of homeland security challenges, from cybersecurity and critical infrastructure to the deadly opioid epidemic. The panel “Standards Development and Technology Assessments to Enhance Public Safety Against Fentanyl and Related Compounds” highlighted ongoing research, standards development, and technology assessments focused on combating the rapidly evolving threat of fentanyl and the hazards it presents to first responders in the field.

“This was an opportunity to share with first responders and other emergency management practitioners how technology assessments and standards development are addressing public health and first responder safety concerns in this field,” said Ashley Bradley, a biomedical scientist at PNNL who recently coauthored an article highlighting PNNL’s fentanyl detection work in the Domestic Preparedness Journal. “This panel just further emphasized the need for product development to communicate equipment limitations and best practices for operation,” Bradley said.