2022/12/07 Council Agenda Packet

Investment 5-4 (DVE): Binocular Night Vision System Enhanced Clip -On Thermal Imager (ECOTI) This project will fund the purchase of approximately 20 Binocular Night Vision System Enhanced Clip -On Thermal Imager (ECOTI) with daytime viewing lenses. Quantities may change due to actual costs. When paired with a daytime viewing lens the ECOTI becomes a handheld thermal imaging system which expands its capability into a daytime tactical tool that can enhance situational awareness, threat identification and mitigation. By identifying variations in temperature, special team personnel will gain the ability to identify and respond to human -based threats which may be undetectable by other means. Nexus to terrorism: When dealing with radicalized domestic terrorists, special teams need information quickly to identify threats and locate victims to minimize further loss of life. To ensure the safety of personnel, they need to know what they are walking into and where their resources are located. Situational awareness tactical electronics orients special teams to the situation so they can adapt and quickly conform to the dangerous and rapidly evolving presence of terrorism and targeted violence regardless of the environment. UA past work that aligns with and builds on the DVE NPA has included the purchase and development of the TAK system, the purchase of under door pole cameras, and night vision devices, Fusion Center work, and regional LE Training classes. These are all tools or activities that will be used during an unfolding DVE incident to gather situational awareness and save lives. This project continues to build on that past work. Project partners include UA regional special teams: King County Sheriffs Office (KCSO), Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff's Office, and Seattle Police Department. These partners all have night vision interoperable with ECOTI. Other regional teams will benefit from this capability as they upgrade their current systems. Partner engagement occurs through the UASI LE Subcommittee through regular meeting attendance and collaboration. The intent is to distribute 5 ECOTI to each of the following UA partners: SPD, TPD, KCSO, and PCSD. In the future, these assets will be used during joint/multiagency missions as well as during joint team training. Although the ECOTI equipment will expand the current night vision capability, it will not extend across the entire region as not all UA partners' systems are compatible. As these UA partners upgrade their night vision, the benefit will be fully regional. Additionally, deployment prioritization will continue to be a potential challenge if there are multiple incidents occurring simultaneously where ECOTI is needed. Coordination between partners will need to occur to ensure that the equipment is used to address higher risks first. The UASI LE Subcommittee will continue to evaluate the need for additional equipment to support this capability and will also monitor deployments across the region to locate the equipment based on demonstrated need, in addition to ensuring use is spread out across the region to support multi -jurisdictional incident needs. Lastly, training is a potential challenge as advanced tactical training is required to use the system. Training opportunities will need to be offered to all ECOTI users. Project success will be measured through an increase in successfully completing reconnaissance missions providing vital situational awareness as well as a decrease in injuries to special teams through the use of the situational awareness equipment. In the 2020 UASI SPR, Interdiction and Disruption "Approaches for Addressing Capability Gaps and Sustainment Needs" identified the purchase of thermal imagery technology to support situational awareness and first responder safety. Future UASI SPRs should show progress towards building capability. The UASI LE Subcommittee will facilitate grant -funded equipment purchases through the LE Program Manager and will ensure oversight of grant expenditures throughout the grant life cycle. To maximize cost effectiveness, multiple bids will be requested with the use of a clearly delineated project scope. By purchasing equipment as a region, often in greater quantities, costs are lower thus increasing funding effectiveness. The project outcome is increased situation awareness in the field enabling special teams to better support responses during a DVE, incident and save lives. With the focus on receiving timely and actionable information in real-time across a rapidly evolving threat environment through the use of ECOTIs, this project directly ties to the NPA of DVE. DHS-FEMA-HSGP-UASI-FY21 Page 51 of 57 SPD, E22-113 Revised