WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) will unveil the first technology to be successfully certified under the System Efficacy through Commercialization Utilization Relevance and Evaluation (SECURE) Program at 11:00 a.m. on April 27, 2011 at the Long Island Forum for Technology in Bethpage, N.Y.  A blast-survivable video system designed for use in mass transit vehicles -- the Blast Resistant Autonomous Video Equipment (BRAVE) camera produced by Visual Defence USA, Inc. – successfully completed all required testing and evaluation to be certified through this unique public/private partnership.

The SECURE Program fosters cooperative partnerships between DHS and the private sector to develop products or services to needed to accomplish the broad range of DHS missions and to support the nation’s first responders and critical infrastructure. The Department provides the private sector with detailed requirements and a conservative estimate of the potential market. In exchange, companies use their own funds to perform research and development to meet those requirements.

Prototypes of the BRAVE camera were subjected to a series of intensive tests over the past two years, including being subjected to the blast and shrapnel of an improvised explosive device, the intensive heat of a diesel fuel fire, and pilot tests in mass transit systems of several U.S. cities. B-roll of this intense testing will be made available at the event.

 WHAT:           Unveiling of the first technology to be successfully SECURE-certified – the BRAVE camera

WHO:             Dr. Thomas Cellucci, Chief Commercialization Officer, DHS S&t

                        Stephen Dennis, Chief Technology Officer, Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency, DHS S&T.

                         Vicki Looney, Visual Defence USA, Inc. (VDI)

WHEN:           11:00 a.m., April 27, 2011

WHERE:         The Morrelly Homeland Security Center
                         510 Grumman Road West
                         Bethpage, NY 11714

RSVP for media: Contact John Verrico, 202-254-2385, john.verrico@dhs.gov.

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U.S.Department of Homeland Security

Media Advisory

April 18, 2011

Contact: DHS S&T Press Office at (202) 254-2385