UAH is the only academic institution selected to be a contractor in an experiment designed to improve first responder communications and on-site information during a major disaster. UAH’s Rotorcraft Systems Engineering and Simulation Center (RSESC) has the contract to evaluate Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) on Aug. 19-23 during the Next Generation First Responder – Birmingham Shaken Fury Operational Experiment. Commonly referred to as Shaken Fury, the effort is a U.S. Dept. Of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate operational experiment to evaluate emerging communications technologies in disaster situations. "I see this as an exercise in the seamless integration of communications for first responders," says Jerry Hendrix, RSESC director of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Programs responsible for UAS research.