Briefs: House subcommittee to conduct FirstNet hearing

The House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Communications and Technology — chaired by Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) — will conduct a hearing entitled "Oversight of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) and Emergency Communications," according to the House website. Witnesses have not been posted yet, but the hearing will be conducted at 10:30 a.m. EST on Thursday, March 14.

"Last Congress, we took concrete steps to improve emergency communications when we passed the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act," Walden said in a prepared statement. "This hearing will provide oversight to ensure that both public safety officials and the public have access to effective, open lines of communication during an emergency."

Harris announces contract wins worth $58 million

Harris this week announced two contract wins worth a combined total of $58 million, according to the company.

First, Harris will provide a $16 million P25 system to the Societe de Transport de Montreal (STM), which oversees more than 1.2 million trips daily via bus, taxi and paratransit services in Montreal. The Harris P25 network will be part of an integrated communications system designed by INIT Innovations that will streamline communications for STM.

Harris also received a $42 million contract from Chester County, Pa., to deploy and maintain a P25 Phase II system that will support police, fire and EMS personnel. In addition, Harris will replace the county's 911 consoles. The maintenance agreement is for eight years after the P25 system is implemented.

DHS reopens lab in new location

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate recently opened the new location of its National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL), which is used to test, evaluate and analyze homeland-security capabilities and technologies. The NUSTL lab originally was designed to support the Manhattan Project and has been a U.S. hub for radiation and detection analysis.

"The NUSTL is an invaluable resource within the Homeland Security Enterprise," Daniel Gerstein, DHS deputy under secretary for science and technology, said in a prepared statement. "This new lab is at the core of producing new and innovative solutions with improved collaboration, increased training, and upgraded scientific capabilities to make our nation more safe, secure and resilient."