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The future is a heady and mysterious entity that can and always has been designated by the imaginations of those in the past and the expectations of those in the present. While our (be)fore Fathers and antecedents were dreaming up air travel, cars that can float, and time traveling machines, we have been dishing up exactly those in the form of air planes, hovercrafts and Facebook/Instigram; though not literal adaptations of what they had expected, we do the best we can.

But a body of experts now plan for the future in exactly the way science fiction and fantasy novels and comic strips depicted the year 2012 to be.

Futurist in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), in the Resilience and Emergency Preparedness / Response Branch, have for years been exploring the art of the possible,, shaping any and all technological dreams into a viable and workable artifice.

"Revolutionary ways of working are often invented because visionaries saw a need and a novel way to meet it," said Deputy Director Bob Tuohy, who is an admitted sci-fi enthusiast.

In 2011, S&T's First Responders Group and FEMA's National Preparedness Directorate turned to Tuohy's team for assistance in forecasting first responder needs.

A year later researchers have come up with ideas that sound impossible but are very doable. However, fiscal restraints do not allow for anything but concocting the plans, all the following ideas listed, under a blue sky scenario where the researchers had unlimited funds, could be produced within the next 20 years.

A press report by the Dept. of Homeland Security lists them as follows:

• a two way wrist watch will provide officers of the near future with information as swiftly and surely as the good guys on Criminal Minds and CSI. In fact, our future cop will seem blessed with a sixth sense. Donning "augmented reality" eyeglasses or a 'wristphone,' he'll be able to ID a shady character while approaching him, pick out (and zoom in on) a terrorist, and find a weapon before it finds its victims. Armed with assistive technologies like data visualization, the law enforcer will also be fighting new forms of cyber crime. Wirelessly "plugged in" to a homeland-security network, he'll spend less time responding to crime, and more time thwarting it.
• Using telemedicine, the paramedic of the future will make tough calls and perform advanced procedures onsite, aided by expert systems and doctors watching from afar. Much as OnStar or Sirius can dial 9-1-1 when a car's airbags deploy, a victim's smartphone (or whatever might replace it) will summon an ambulance if its owner is unconscious. The ambulance can then arrive swiftly and safely, using a jammer that can mute loud music in nearby cars and turn a red light green. Reaching the victim, the paramedic relieves the good Samaritan who has been coached by her phone's virtual physician. As the paramedic's own phone downloads the patient's medical history, a tiny "tricorder" will read the patient's vitals and scan for injuries. It's all in a routine day.

But "routine" will not exist if a city is struck by an earthquake, a radiological ("dirty") bomb, or a chemical or biological weapon. The paramedic of the future will carry or wear a suite of sensors to detect victims, reveal which of them needs the most urgent care, and warn him if he can't reach them safely. Together with stationary sensors, these mobile sensors will feed an intelligent triage system that grows smarter with experience.

In the paramedic's "medical bag," you'll find artificial red blood cells, perhaps artificial blood itself. When disaster strikes, the paramedic will be aided by 3D tracking, a lightweight protective suit, and a long-lasting oxygen supply that's trim and lightweight. Victims won't weigh down our paramedic: He'll get a boost from a robotic cot, a stair-chair, or perhaps an "Iron Man lite" exoskeleton.

•  Lighter gear, sensors that warn when to clear out, and smoke-penetrating goggles ranked high on the wish list of responders envisioning the firefighter of the future.

Like tomorrow's paramedic, the future firefighter may rely on robots to do heavy lifting or scope out a hostile environment. But mostly, he'll rely on headgear that streams "situational awareness" from a symphony of sensors. Warnings, maps, and other vital data will be beamed to a firefighter's eyes and ears, keeping hands free as they guide him into a fire and back out before the ceiling caves, his oxygen empties, or his body succumbs to heat.

• Software will help the emergency manager (EM) of the future make urgent decisions, undistracted by logistics. When a hurricane in Florida creates hundreds of calls for portable generators, fresh water, and food, an expert system will sort them out, sending supplies-public and private-where they'll do the most good. And after an earthquake, smart sensors will "phone in" injuries and damage; the results will be color-coded onto high-resolution maps.

It is about time there comes a change and we stop relying on sequals and prequels to inspire innovation. Its time to get back to the future---so to speak.