Kansas DOT and MITRE Collaborate to Enhance Security and Emergency Response Services

What do tornados, football games, and snowstorms all have in common? They could all be better managed if security personnel and emergency responders had a single, secure information sharing network that could provide them with a common operating picture—using data feeds from drones, ground-based sensors, and other sources.

That’s the idea behind the Kansas Network of Emerging Technologies (KNET), which the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) asked MITRE to prototype and demonstrate.

"KDOT wants to improve its emergency response and interagency coordination when county- or state-level emergencies occur," says KNET MITRE project leader Trever Linn. They also want to improve public safety at large gatherings. "To do that, they need a platform that can reliably share data with all relevant emergency responders in near-real-time—packaged in an easy-to-digest view. That’s the goal for KNET." 

"Given the magnitude of the challenge KDOT was undertaking, MITRE was singularly positioned to make the vision of KNET a reality," says Brian Kassin, chief of strategic programs for KDOT. "That reality will be transformative for the people of Kansas and a model for all public safety."

A cross-cutting team—with members from MITRE’s Center for Integrated Transportation and Center for Securing the Homeland—has produced a proof-of-concept KNET prototype. The team's work stands on the shoulders of previous MITRE work for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

"We had developed an end-to-end demonstration and test capability to support CBP’s exploration of multi-modal sensor data fusion applications," Linn says. "That effort provided a foundation for our KNET work."

A key KNET focus has been the ability to collect and disseminate uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) video to first responders, share UAS and first responder position location information, and distill incident data into a common operating picture. Information from other sources—such as traffic cameras or acoustic, motion, and weather sensors—can also be integrated into the system.

"By capturing all this information in one place and presenting it in a way that is easy to understand and analyze, users will be able to make better-informed decisions," says Michael Guterres, Ph.D., who leads MITRE's portfolio on advanced aviation.

Putting KNET to the Test

In mid-May, the KNET prototype got a test drive at Kansas City’s largest musical festival, the Kelce Jam, where a crowd of 23,000 descended on the Azura Amphitheatre to see their favorite artists perform.

"KDOT wanted a demonstration of the KNET proof-of-concept capability at a major public event involving multiple stakeholders, and this was the perfect opportunity," Linn says. "It was a chance to see how KNET would work with a large number of users in a real-world operational scenario."

It was a collaborative effort. In addition to KDOT, MITRE partnered with Kansas State University, which flew its drones at the event as part of a Federal Aviation Administration research initiative focused on disaster preparedness and emergency response. Another partner was the Bonner Springs Police Department (BSPD), which handled event security.

"We were the technology integrator," Linn says. "Our proof-of-concept system pulled together UAS video streams, feeds from pan-tilt-zoom cameras that were set up to provide event overwatch, aircraft position information from onboard transmitters, and other geographic information system sources event organizers use to show first responder locations at any given time."

The team was particularly interested in how the KNET prototype would support the BSPD incident commander’s efforts.

"With the drone and camera footage KNET captured, the commander was able to see many incidents that officers on the ground weren't aware of," Linn says. In total, more than 30 incidents were captured, including medical emergencies, unruly patrons, and even a fence jumper.

"With KNET, the commander could see that happening in real time," Linn says. "And with the platform's corresponding maps of officers' positions, he was able to direct the closest personnel to investigate, all while tracking the movements of the jumper."

KNET supported safety above ground as well.

"We used the platform to monitor where the drones were flying and to maintain situational awareness of the airspace," Linn explains. "We were deconflicting with event security, media agencies, and the Kansas State University team, all of which had drones or crewed aircraft in the air." The team used a combination of sensor feeds broadcasting and receiving UAS location information, KNET's mobile ad-hoc network, and communications from observers on the ground to accomplish this feat.

Rapid Response and Lessons Learned

The test of KNET achieved more than one objective. "We demonstrated how KNET could disseminate video to multiple devices and share near-real-time incident data with both first responders and UAS operators via one integrated system and display," Linn says. "We also showed that security personnel could respond more quickly and effectively with the added situational awareness KNET provided."

Additionally, the team got insights into how they could improve upon the proof-of-concept capability.

"We captured a lot of operational lessons learned, including feedback from the users that will inform our ongoing efforts to refine the technical requirements for a system that can scale," Linn says. "While KNET is based on existing government-available software, KDOT and the MITRE team are focused on integrating the right communications architecture, sensors, and software to scale across multiple state agencies and help KDOT assess what infrastructure is necessary to do that."

After those refinements are made? Another test run at the Kansas State Fair in September, where Kansas Highway Patrol will handle security for the 300,000-attendee event.

"That’ll be a next-level stress test for the system," Linn says. "Ultimately, we'll prepare KDOT to select a vendor to develop the system based on the technical requirements we've established."

Supporting the development of that statewide system may be only the beginning. MITRE’s KNET work has already generated interest at the federal level.

"We’re currently exploring the possibility of expanding on this work for federal agencies," says Guterres. "It’s a key part of MITRE's mission to build upon work for one government sponsor to serve the needs of another in the public interest. This is a great opportunity to do just that."