Tech Firms Respond to Homeland Security Appeal The Homeland Security Department is evaluating more than 3,300 proposals received from its first broad agency announcement issued in May, said Charles McQueary, DHS undersecretary for science and technology. The announcement was a shopping list for new technologies. Speaking at an Aug. 6 conference in Charleston, SC, McQueary said, “ I lead a team that is tasked with discovering new innovations, identifying existing ones and ensuring that they get to the people who protect us from terrorism.” He outlined the division’s goals for the next year: •“Establish a clearinghouse with the Technical Support Working Group to rapidly prototype homeland security technologies; •“Accelerate the deployment of biological, chemical and radiological tools and technologies; •“Work with federal, state, and local governments and organizations to develop standards for first responder technologies; and, •“Anticipate emerging threats and protect critical infrastructure through science.” More than $500 million is budgeted for the department’s science and technology programs in the current fiscal year. President Bush has proposed an increase to just over $800 million in 2004. Describing the S&T division’s work, McQueary said, “We will serve as a vigorous internal research engine in which we will work closely with scientists and engineers, national laboratories, sister agencies and health organizations on technological innovations. “We will also focus on engaging the industrial base of our nation to apply these innovations to real-world problems. To that end we have created the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA), a cousin to the Defense Department’s DARPA agency, which helped create the Internet. HSARPA will help jumpstart and steer homeland security R&D toward high priority needs, such as port security and critical infrastructure protection.”