NIST, FEMA join forces

The National Institute of Standards and Technology signed an agreement to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency in its homeland security efforts.

The memorandum of understanding, which top officials from the two agencies signed, is to strengthen their collaborative bonds to support the federal government's capabilities to reduce national disaster losses and enhance homeland security.

Under the memorandum, the NIST Building and Fire Research Laboratory and FEMA's Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration will work together to aid development of technology and methods to evaluate equipment for use by police, fire and emergency medical personnel, known as first responders.