Anaheim was selected based on its demonstrated willingness and capacity to adopt advanced and innovative concepts for emergency preparedness and public safety. In addition, the City is currently participating in the Homeland Security Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) through which it received $10.2 million.
"This initiative will help communities strengthen their security posture by speeding the introduction and implementation of new technologies," said Homeland Security Under Secretary for Science and Technology Charles McQueary. "From detection to prevention, from preparedness to response, we will focus on quickly bringing the best of American innovation to bear on homeland security in a model that can be replicated nationwide,"
By participating in the program, Anaheim will provide the science and technology community a realistic municipal environment to test maturing hardware and concepts, while at the same time gaining access to resources not otherwise available. The program will also provide information on how best to choose, deploy, and manage new security technologies.
The goal of Homeland Security's RTI initiative is to speed the successful transfer and integration of existing and advanced homeland security technology systems to local governments in order to improve preparedness and response. The program focuses on the prompt implementation of technologies for detection and response; collaboration with end-users and other Homeland Security programs; the integration of new technologies with the existing infrastructure, systems and concepts to reduce costs and assure sustainability; and measurable objectives and continuous evaluation to ease the utilization of lessons learned and best practices by other communities.
