SOO - H - MultiSpectrum Protection - 06022021.pdf

Multi-spectrum Laser Eyewear Protection Statement of Objectives

June 2021 Science and Technology Directorate Department of Homeland Security

DISTRIBUTION NOTICE: Further dissemination only as directed by DHS Office of Policy DESTRUCTION NOTICE: Destroy by any method that will prevent disclosure of contents or reconstruction of the document.

Multi-spectrum Laser Eyewear

Contents

1.0 Problem Statement

2.0 Purpose and Scope

3.0 Background Environment

3.1 Mission Scenarios

3.2 Current Technology Shortfalls and Threats

4.0 Potential Solution Attributes

4.1 Concept of Operations (ConOps)

4.2 Additional Capabilities

5.0 Solution Capabilities and Requirements

5.1 Must Have Requirements

5.2 Desirable Capabilities or Characteristics

6.0 System Support

6.1 Contractual Requirements

6.1.1 Period and Place of Performance

6.1.2 System Affordability

6.1.3 Regulatory/Legal Requirements

6.1.4 Contract Deliverables

6.2 Solution Support

6.2.1 Support Concept

6.2.2 Training

6.2.3 Other Considerations

6.2.4 Storage and Maintenance

1.0 Problem Statement

First responders, particularly law enforcement officers responding to civil unrest situations, need multi-spectrum eye protection from lasers. Currently, there is no single solution that protects officers from multiple light spectrums including red, blue-green, and infrared. Further, all officers do not have access to laser protection equipment or may require multiple pieces of equipment for varying laser types. This forces officers to choose, if available, between which equipment to use, compromising between putting themselves at risk to harmful exposure or completing the mission efficiently and effectively. Current protection options are often incompatible with other equipment, such as gas masks, or obstruct visual acuity at night, as well as in dark or smoky conditions.

2.0 Purpose and Scope

The proposed solution shall leverage existing and new technologies to provide officers with eye protection from multi-spectrum threat of lasers and/or infrared light as they perform their duties.

The solution can be available in multiple forms including glasses, goggles, face shield, or a sheet/film applicable to glass surfaces (e.g., eyewear, windshield, building window, body/tactical shield). The solution must provide wide-range laser protection, as well as maintain reasonable visual acuity; weight and durability; reasonable aesthetic attributes and comfort; and compatibility with other required equipment (e.g., gas masks).

The scope of this solution shall extend to violent mission environments (e.g,. civil unrest), but may also extend to everyday use. The solution must increase laser protection, maintain visual acuity, and integrate with current equipment. In addition to laser protection, durability is a major factor in that contact with grueling environmental conditions, such as high temperatures and exposure to damaging hazards (e.g., chemical irritants and projectiles), will not compromise the integrity and performance of the solution. The solution shall be reusable up to a reasonable life in relation to the price point.

3.0 Background Environment

During civil unrest incidents across the country in 2020, law enforcement officers were often the targets of a variety of physical threats, to include laser attacks from citizens with commercial products. Lasers pointed at officers’ eyes impact their ability to successfully and safely perform their duties, and infrared light from lasers can cause permanent damage to the eyes. Currently, all officers do not have access to laser protection equipment or may require multiple pieces of equipment for varying laser types. Officers do not have the time to retrieve or activate special equipment when a laser threat is present, and therefore must be protected in all situations and conditions. Current eyewear protection options are often incompatible with other equipment, such as gas masks. Current options often obstruct visual acuity at night as well as in dark or smoky conditions and are akin to ‘wearing sunglasses at night.’ Any laser-protective eyewear must also be impact resistant and offer protection from eye-irritant chemical mists, as officers commonly encounter in civil unrest circumstances.

3.1 Mission Scenarios

This SOO is developed with law enforcement in mind, but can extend to other responder missions, including: tactical response, firefighting, emergency medical care, technical rescue, hazardous materials mitigation, disaster response, and others. Multi-spectrum laser eye protection will enable first responders to perform their required missions without having to switch between different types of laser-specific protection and without sacrificing safety (e.g., switching from impact protection to laser protection).

3.2 Current Technology Shortfalls and Threats

Officers need protection from full-spectrum laser threats without losing situational awareness and visibility. Existing options have limited visual acuity at night, in the dark, or in smoke. Currently, there are multiple types of eyewear protection available for officers;

however, they cannot wear multiple pieces at once. Officers should not have to retrieve or activate special equipment when a laser threat is present, choose between impact protection or laser protection, or change equipment for varying laser types, and therefore must have an encompassing solution. In addition, officers may not be able to recognize the presence of the threat and the associated need to wear a specific type of eye protection. As an example, infrared lasers can cause permanent vision loss without pain or other signs and symptoms during the exposure. Further, officers need a range of protection options to accommodate varying mission situations. For example, face and body shields are ideal in situations with projectiles, but shields often have limited peripheral vision which necessitates improvement or dual protection. Finally, existing adhesive protection films are permanent fixtures to their adhered surface. Officers need to be able to remove and replace protective films without damage to the original equipment.

As lasers are an emergent threat and any protection capabilities are new, there are many unknowns regarding the threat and shortfalls of current technology. It is unknown how current laser protections stand up in extreme temperatures (e.g., fires, explosions), against chemical irritants or direct impacts, as well as general durability and lifespan.

4.0 Potential Solution Attributes

4.1 Concept of Operations (ConOps)

The CONOPs for the multi-spectrum protection solution will be nearly indistinguishable from current operations while providing increased protection from laser threats. Officers need to have daily eye protection, including peripheral view, from laser threats without losing situational awareness and visibility as they perform their duties. Officers with prescriptive lenses or contacts must not have their visual acuity sacrificed for laser protection. When employed, laser protection must be constant as opposed to special gear to be located, equipped, or changed when a threat occurs. The end solution can be available in a variety of forms including eyewear, face shield, or a sheet/film applicable to a glass surface (e.g., eyewear, windshield, building window, or body/tactical shield), yet multiple forms may be needed across situations. Any solution must provide eye protection with peripheral view and protection.

4.2 Additional Capabilities

Future applications may include protective capability of other surfaces including vehicle or helicopter windshields, building windows, and body/tactical shields. Protection for such surfaces would need to be durable against long exposure to sunlight, as well as durable to extreme temperature ranges, explosions, direct impacts, and dangerous chemicals (especially chemicals encounter in civil unrest situations).

Technological advances in laser protection can be leveraged to also protect officers from infrared light, which is not visible or detectable to the human eye. All laser protection research/technology can be leveraged to develop detection capabilities, so that officers can be alerted if they are being targeted, particularly by infrared light, as well as locate the source of the laser threat.

5.0 Solution Capabilities and Requirements

5.1 Must Have Requirements (Key Performance Parameters, KPP’s) Must-Have Requirements shall include:

1. Must protect the officer from lasers up to 200 yards

2. Must meet ANSI and/or Mil Spec requirements for impact protection

3. Must have minimal tradeoff between protection and visual acuity

4. Must be durable, reusable, and scratch-resistant

5. Must be able to be decontaminated and cleaned

6. Must be available to meet a range of head and face sizes

7. Must be comfortable and lightweight to the wearer

8. If eyewear, must have the option to be prescription or accommodate contact lenses

9. Must include glare reduction and anti-fog

10. Must be able to accommodate other equipment (e.g., gas masks)

11. Must protect officers while maintaining operational efficiency

a. Must maintain visual acuity and clarity in light and dark environments

12. Must protect the officer from the threat ranges identified by the study (currently, at least blue-green spectrum)

13. If a film solution is developed:

a. Must be able to remove and reapply the film without compromising the equipment or surface (i.e., no glue residue)

b. Must be able to cut films to custom size

5.2 Desirable Capabilities or Characteristics

In addition to the must have requirements reported in subsection 5.1, there are performance and/or system standards that exceed the proposed solution requirements:

1. Protection from infrared laser attacks

2. Detection capability to scan a crowd and locate laser use. Desired capabilities include one technology for lasers and a second capability for infrared, unless a single technology can detect both.

a. Detect multiple types and spectrums of laser threats

b. Identify the strength and type of threat (e.g., Will the threat cause damage? Does the threat warrant criminal charges?)

c. Detect threats from at least 200 yards

d. Identify multiple threats and/or perpetrators

e. Ability to detect at day and night

f. Ability to detect in all types of weather (e.g., hot, cold, wet, dry)

g. Operable by a single person

h. Easy to carry/access

i. An app or GUI interface

i. Easy to read and interpret in loud, distracting environments

6.0 System Support

6.1 Contractual Requirements

6.1.1 Period and Place of Performance

The length of time of the contract shall be between 12-18 months and shall not exceed the latter. All developmental activities will be performed at the contractor-designated site(s). DHS may require the contractor to perform critical design reviews and/or product presentations at DHS-specified locations.

Support will be conducted and delivered in two Phases:

Phase 1: As lasers are an emergent threat to officers, a compilation of existing, informed scientific work shall be conducted and submitted as soon as possible for dissemination to the FRRG community. Specific topics of interest include:

1. How often are officers experiencing laser and infrared attacks?

2. What type of laser threats are most common (e.g., red, blue-green, or both)?

3. What type of injuries are possible and common from lasers?

4. Are there reported cases of permanent damage from lasers?

Phase 2: Based on a review of the current research provided in Phase 1, the FRRG community will determine specific priorities for solution development.

6.1.2 System Affordability

First responders’ budgets are limited and should be taken into consideration when developing and determining a price per unit cost model. Ideally, the solution will be standard issue to individuals across agencies, therefore the solution must be affordable to every officer. Departments should not have to rely on grants to subsidize laser protection equipment.

6.1.3 Regulatory/Legal Requirements

This section is regarding the secondary level of requirements for the proposed solution to move into production from governmental regulations.

• ANSI

• Mil Spec

6.1.4 Contract Deliverables

The contractor shall provide at least 5 prototypes systems/solutions for DHS at the end of the effort.

Specific unit requirements, as well as cost and complextity, will depend on the nature of the developed solution, for example pieces of eyewear versus rolls of film.

6.2 Solution Support

6.2.1 Support Concept

The technologies required to support this solution may include existing forms including eyewear, face shield, or a sheet/film applicable to a glass surface (e.g., eyewear, windshield, building window, or body/tactical shield), yet multiple forms may be needed across situations.

6.2.2 Training

Training information as required shall be provided on any specialized equipment, and shall include how to properly store, clean, deploy, and maintain the basic ensemble/unit. Any specialty requirements of personnel conducting maintenance, storage, extraction, or delivery will be identified including certification requirements. Training material shall be available initially in hard-copy, and subsequently in soft-copy format.

6.2.3 Other Considerations

Human Interface Requirements: The target user includes law enforcement that respond to any incident. Officers with prescriptive lenses or contacts must not have their visual acuity sacrificed for laser protection. When employed, laser protection must be constant as opposed to special gear to be located, equipped, or changed when a threat occurs.

Logistics and Readiness: The solution developed under this award is envisioned as either a new piece of equipment or an improved version of current offerings. It should also be cost effective so that emergency responders from a wide variety of jurisdictions will be able to afford it.

6.2.4 Storage and Maintenance

The contractor shall identify all necessary storage and maintenance requirements for the proposed solution including: the required maintenance schedule, identification of the specific components of the ensemble that requires the maintenance, the type of maintenance required, and whether the maintenance can be performed in the field by operational personnel or if it will be required to be returned to the manufacturer for the required maintenance.

Physical solutions including PPE, shall include all special laundering instructions, including recommendations for frequency of laundering, should also be provided if required. Laundering recommendations should be viable and cost-effective for First Responders and First Responder agencies and should ideally be able to be performed “in house.”