WASHINGTON—The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate has signed an agreement with American Public Television Stations in an effort to improve communications for the first responder community.

This Memorandum of Agreement signed by the two organizations is designed to make datacasting technology available nationwide. Datacasting allows public safety communities to transmit secure data over existing television signals to a targeted audience. Using this, voice, text, files, images and video can be transmitted during emergency situations.

Datacasting has previously been tested during recent events like a Republican Presidential Candidate debate and the NCAA Final Four.

S&T will use this new agreement to further its mission of providing first responders with tools and technologies to better respond to day-to-day and emergency challenges.