Barr Speaks on AI at Texas Emergency Management Conference

Jonathan Barr, senior systems engineer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), was recently invited to co-present on a panel at the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) Annual Conference. The panel focused on the relationship and intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), first responders, and emergency management—a timely subject given the crucial impact AI is having across various industries.

The TDEM Annual Conference is one of the largest of its type in the country, attracting over 3,500 elected officials, first responders, emergency managers, and decision-makers from across Texas. Focused on fostering innovation, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing in emergency management and public safety, the event provides an exceptional opportunity to showcase novel technology and research. Barr was excited to share the work being done at PNNL with those attending. 

“It is important that PNNL and other national laboratories are engaged with the community to understand what the real needs are and provide information on the tools in development to meet those needs,” said Barr. “This ensures the work we’re doing at the Lab can be adopted or deployed for operational impact in this community.”

Currently, Barr is engaging various national security focused stakeholder communities to better understand both current and near-future needs to drive and develop the next-generation technologies that will support them.

The TDEM conference also highlighted some aspects of the research that Barr and Alex Hagen conducted for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate as it was featured in a special issue that was provided to all conference attendees. Their work, titled “Opportunities for Artificial Intelligence in Emergency Management”  was published in the December 2024 edition of the Domestic Preparedness Journal  (pages 16-18). 

PNNL’s involvement at the TDEM Conference highlights its commitment to advancements in emergency management through AI, backed by deep expertise and ethical governance in AI systems development.