Reports produced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) Program are now available for download on the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) website.
The move is meant to serve as a one-stop-shop for resources to help responders make better purchasing decisions.
The SAVER Program is managed and executed by the DHS National Urban Security Technology Laboratory, which is responsible for selecting and prioritizing program topics, developing SAVER knowledge products, coordinating with other organizations and ensuring flexibility and responsiveness to first responder requirements.
“Available at science-and-technology/saver, Assessment Reports, Market Surveys, TechNotes and other types of SAVER reports provide unbiased comparative assessments of commercially available tools and equipment,” S&T said in an announcement, noting that, “The equipment is selected, and then tested and evaluated by responders themselves in realistic operational environments.”
“SAVER reports are valuable to the responder community for their readability, comparisons of technology, and ability to capture end-user feedback. This helps first responders to see the pros and cons, easily review the specs, and make a better purchasing decision as a result,” said Brian Warner, SAVER Program Manager.
In 2016, SAVER assessed technology resulting in 23 new reports in seven Federal Emergency Management Agency Authorized Equipment List (AEL) categories, including Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor for Women, Handheld Thermal Imagers, Personal Cooling Systems and Throwable Robots.
S&T said, “SAVER reports are free to download and written in plain language ‘Consumer Reports’ style. In addition, they are searchable by AEL category to facilitate the opportunity to align grant funds to AEL equipment.”
The goal is to provide cost and time savings to federal, state and local responders as they decide which equipment to purchase.
For more information and to get the latest reports each month, visit the SAVER webpage. For questions about the program, contact [email protected].
