The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) has won the 2007 Noblis Innovations Award in Homeland Security. The award, which is given by Noblis and the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, seeks to identify, explore, and highlight creative and effective government and public-private partnership solutions to address the nation’s homeland security concerns. The award was given by Noblis to WASPC and local first responders during a ceremony at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center in Seattle on September 6.

WASPC is working to protect Washington state critical infrastructure such as state ferries, public courthouses, port facilities, convention centers and other sites including all K-12 schools with a secure Web-based system using Prepared Response.

“This award further validates how our Rapid Responder solution effectively improves planning, preparedness and response to man-made or natural emergencies,” said Jim Finnell, president and CEO of Prepared Response. “Our technology and professional services are currently being used to protect critical infrastructure and campuses in 12 other states. As a parent and former first responder, I am particularly pleased that Washington state and WASPC placed the state’s 2,200 K-12 school's emergency preparedness in front of all other critical infrastructure.”

“By partnering with Prepared Response, we are deploying a standardized statewide collaboration and technology system that will help first responders protect the state’s public buildings and schools by providing them with instant access to critical facility information and joint emergency response plans,” said Don Pierce, Executive Director of WASPC. “This system allows various first responder agencies to work together with the same information and can serve as a template for a regional or even nationwide crisis management system.”