DHS Funds Further Development of Bridge4PS Messaging Platform

Mobility 4 Public Safety has received $1.5 million in funding from the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate to further develop its Bridge 4 Public Safety messaging and collaboration platform.

Bridge4PS is a first responder solution designed as a smartphone application offering secure messaging, picture, video and file sharing. It is interoperable across agencies and is compatible with iOS, Android, desktop/Mac clients and web browsers.

Development of Bridge4PS began in 2019 through funding from DHS S&T. After initial tests in Houston, Texas, and Los Angeles, California, the platform was authorized for use across the country, the DHS said.

According to Kathryn Coulter Mitchell, the senior DHS official performing the duties of the undersecretary for science and technology, the agency had to sponsor the development of a dedicated public safety messaging and collaboration platform as many public safety and emergency response officials resorted to using non-secure, consumer-grade messaging tools.

Moving forward, Norman Speicher, DHS S&T program manager, said efforts will be focused on obtaining compliance certifications for Bridge4PS. The goal is to maximize usability and adoption across the broad public safety user base.

Ongoing DHS-sponsored development initiatives to support first responders include the creation of affordable and user-friendly in-building coverage analysis systems. The agency also solicited proposals for various first responder technologies, including low-profile police protective equipment and less-lethal options for crowd control.