By Adrian Rowan, FirstNet Media Affairs Specialist

Several technology companies from around the country participated in a recent Loudoun County (Va.) event that challenged them to create innovative hardware and software solutions for first responders. Called the 2014 Loudoun Challenge, the event was organized and sponsored by the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce, and the county's Department of Economic Development, and the Innovative Solutions Consortium (ISC), which is a non-profit organization made up of technology firms.

Participating companies were judged by a panel of experts that included local public safety officials, including Chief Michael Johnson of Loudoun County Fire and Rescue and Second Lieutenant Charles Manning of the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. The panel members reviewed each presentation, asked questions to the presenters, and then voted on awards for the “Most Disruptive” and “Most Innovative” solutions for public safety use.

Among the many “proof-of-concept” solutions that were presented was an indoor tracking system that produced a map of buildings for when blueprints may not be available. The system uses several types of information to create these maps, from GPS to Wi-Fi. It also allows first responders to be monitored and tracked for their safety while in a building and can be used for training.

Another technological solution on display at the Challenge was an unmanned aerial device – a balloon – that included a camera that generates atmospheric data and imagery that is geo referenced. The solution could be used for event monitoring, reviewing suspicious packages, and search and rescue operations. A key benefit is that it requires minimal training and is easy to operate.

In addition, other tech firms presented solutions to improve field reporting and data collection using mobile applications, as well as solutions to enhance first responders’ access to vehicle tracking, traffic, and mapping information

Brian Giblin, who is President of the ISC, called the event a “huge step forward” for fostering public safety innovation. The Challenge “enabled collaboration between solution providers so that first-responders and all stakeholders could see innovative solutions to the transportation and public safety challenges they are facing today,” he tells FirstNet. “Now, Government officials have a much clearer understanding of the solutions, their benefits, and the value they can provide to first-responders and the public at large.”