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Archive for the ‘CBRNE’ Category

Are Your Hazmat Crews and First Responders Equipped for Nuclear and Radiological Threats in 2021?

Saturday, May 8th, 2021

(Wellington, FL, April 27, 2021) – Paratore Enterprises, Inc, a Florida company, is proud to offer First Responders better ways to protect themselves from radioactive sources.

Headquartered in Wellington, FL, Paratore Enterprises, Inc, understands that after a year of lockdown throughout most countries, now in 2021 the world continues to have its nuclear and radioactive threats.  With over 70 years of experience working in defense and law enforcement distribution in various capacities, Paratore Enterprises helps First Responders and Hazmat crews procure the means to do their job while being protected.

“There are three main types of nuclear terrorism,” explains Dalia Paratore, President and Founder of Paratore Enterprises, “nuclear explosives (nuclear bomb), nuclear sabotage (taking over a power plant) and detonation of radiological devices (dirty bombs or RDDs)”

The immediate health effects from exposure are determined by the amount of radiation absorbed by the body, the type of radiation (gamma, beta or alpha), the distance from the radioactive agents and the length of time of exposure. The general population is in danger but much more so are First Responders and Hazmat crews.  They need to be ensured the highest level of protection.

The number of the FBI’s domestic terrorism investigations has doubled to 2,000 since September 2020. Arrests on charges related to domestic terrorism have also jumped by nearly 70% to 180 in the most recent fiscal year. RDDs are comparatively easier to acquire material for and detonate and for this reason are popular among terrorist groups.

 “Many First Responders use Demron radiation suits, vests, shields and blankets. Demron radiation protection is similar to lead shielding, while being lightweight and flexible. Demron is proven by the United States Department of Energy to significantly reduce high energy alpha and beta radiation and reduce low energy gamma radiation,” explains Paco Paratore, Paratore Enterprises’ Chemical Engineering Subject Matter Expert. “These suits are thermo-conductive, meaning the wearer will not overheat as opposed to other suits and will be able to work longer. They are also reusable, something key for organizations’ budgets.”

FLIR Wins DARPA Contract Worth Up to $20.5M to Develop Revolutionary New Protective Fabrics for Chem-Bio Defense

Monday, April 12th, 2021

Personalized Protective Biosystems (PPB) Program Will Create Fabrics with Built-In Ability to Fight Chemical and Biological Agents, from VX to Chlorine Gas to Ebola Virus

ARLINGTON, Va.–FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLIR) announced it has won a contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to rapidly develop novel fabrics with embedded catalysts and chemistries that can fight and reduce chemical and biological threats upon contact. The revolutionary fabrics will be incorporated into protective suits and other equipment such as boots, gloves, and eye protection that can be worn by troops on the battlefield, medical experts, healthcare workers, and more. FLIR received $11.2 million in initial funding for the potential five-year effort worth up to $20.5 million, including options.

The goal of DARPA’s Personalized Protective Biosystems (PPB) program is to reduce the substantial weight and physiological burden of current Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) so soldiers and other specialists can better perform their tasks. PPB will combine novel, lightweight protective materials with new prophylactic medical technologies that mitigate chemical and biological threats at vulnerable tissue barriers, notably the eyes, skin and lungs. The complete system will enable troops and first responders to operate without the burden of carrying and wearing PPE, which can cause heat stress and reduce time spent completing the mission.

“With lives at stake, future operators wearing PPB suits will gain a major edge in staying protected from toxic chemicals and emerging biological threats such as dangerous viruses,” said Mark Stock, VP and general manager of the Sensor Systems business at FLIR. “We’re honored DARPA has chosen us to lead this extraordinary and highly innovative effort to develop first-of-its-kind protective fabrics for our nation’s warfighters, health and public safety officials.”

FLIR and its teaming partners will develop a prototype fabric material, the Integrated Soldier Protective System (ISPS), for testing by government laboratories. Work will be performed at FLIR facilities in Pittsburgh. The ISPS award consists of a two-year base period, two-year first option, and one-year final option. The result after five years will be a suite of prototype protective fabrics and garments ready for transition to a program of record with the U.S. Department of Defense.

FLIR safeguards people and property by providing tools that see and sense harmful Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) substances. For more on FLIR Systems’ threat detection products, visit www.flir.com/threat-detection/.

Gentex Announces Contract with Republic of Korea for Pilot Protective Clothing Set

Tuesday, February 16th, 2021

GENTEX PILOT PROTECTIVE CLOTHING SET II (PP-II) TO BE USED AS COMPLETE CBRN DEFENSE SYSTEM.

CARBONDALE, PA February 9, 2021 – Gentex Corporation, a global leader in personal protection and situational awareness solutions for defense forces, emergency responders, and industrial personnel, announced today that it has signed a contract with the Republic of Korea for the Gentex Pilot Protective

Clothing Set II (PP-II) to be used as a Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) defense system. The PP-II includes complete head to toe CBRN protection including CBRN suit, gloves, socks, and the Tacair respirator for F-15 and F-16 pilots.

The $20.6M production contract of the TACAIR product line provides the Republic of Korean Air Force with a system that seamlessly integrates mission essential equipment such as the Gentex oxygen mask, optical and communications devices. The contract also includes extensive training on product operations and maintenance, as well as testing and storage for up to 10 years shelf life. The Gentex TACAIR Hood Assembly incorporates the MBU-20/P oxygen mask technology for positive pressure breathing (PPB) protection for both altitude and high G levels.  The comfortable lightweight system is completely man-mounted and requires no aircraft modifications or power.

“For over 60 years, Gentex has been the leader in aircrew protection solutions,” said Robert McCay, vice president at Gentex, “This contract brings our industry-leading protection to the Republic of Korea, and we are proud to continue to protect global defense forces.”

Gentex’s portfolio of air products includes helmets, optical protection, respiratory, and situational awareness solutions. For more information visit, www.gentexcorp.com/gentex/defense/air.

Avon Protection’s FM50 Mask Chosen by the Netherlands

Thursday, January 7th, 2021

Avon Protection is pleased to announce they have received an order from The Netherlands for FM50 masks and FM61EU filters under the NATO Support & Procurement Agency (NSPA) contract.

The Netherlands joins other NATO Nations and Partners, Norway, Belgium and Finland, in purchasing the FM50 to protect their militaries. Developed in conjunction with the United States Department of Defense to counter the multiple CBRN threats met in modern war fighting, anti-terrorist and peace-keeping operations, the FM50 is the most operationally proven and widely deployed battlefield respirator in the world. 

Commenting, James Wilcox, President, Military at Avon Protection, said:

“We are proud The Netherlands continues to choose Avon Protection to provide the best CBRN protective equipment for their troops. We look forward to continuing our relationship with this strategically important customer to deliver and support this world leading military capability.”

Three NATO Nations and Partners Choose Avon Protection’s FM50 Mask System

Thursday, December 17th, 2020

Avon Protection has received an order to supply two NATO Nations and one Partner, Belgium, Finland and Norway with their market leading CBRN respiratory protection including FM50 mask systems, filters, spares and accessories.

The FM50 provides operational flexibility required by NATO Allies and Partners forces; designed to protect troops in the most demanding of environments. Developed in conjunction with the United States Department of Defense to counter the multiple CBRN threats met in modern war fighting, anti-terrorist and peace-keeping operations, the FM50 is the most operationally proven and widely deployed battlefield respirator in the world.  

Commenting, James Wilcox, President, Military at Avon Protection, said:

“This order demonstrates the continued confidence and reliance on Avon Protection to supply product of the highest quality and performance to protect militaries around the world. We look forward to continuing our relationship with these strategically important customers to deliver and support this world leading capability.”

This is the first order for Avon Protection under the NATO Support & Procurement Agency contract worth $33 million. The framework contract enables NATO countries and partners to purchase Avon Protection’s market leading respiratory protection system, based around FM50, full suite of filters, MP-PAPR, (Powered Air Purifying Respirator), ST53 (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus) and accessories.

www.avon-protection.com

HSI Awarded $1 million DND IDEaS Contract to Develop the Citadel Respirator Prototype

Monday, September 14th, 2020

Guelph, Ontario, Canada, September 2020 – HumanSystems® Incorporated has been awarded $1,000,000 through the Department of National Defence’s (DND) Innovation For Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program to continue its development of the CitadelTM (Pat. Pending) respirator designed to better protect soldiers in hazardous chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) environments.

This project follows a previous IDEaS contract to HumanSystems® Incorporated in 2019 to develop a proof of concept design. Working with the DND’s science and technology organization, Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), the goal of this twelve-month project is to further develop the CitadelTM respirator design to the point where it can be tested in realistic operational environments.

“Recent changes to Canadian Armed Forces policies allow for short beards and longer hairstyles. This funding will bring the novel CitadelTM respirator concept closer to commercialization and to providing a more protective CBRN Respirator/Mask for individuals with various face/head shapes, hairstyles, and/or facial hair,” says Harry Angel, the HSI® CitadelTM project technical lead.

The proof of concept CitadelTM respirator was designed to mitigate any leakage of contaminants into the respirator mask caused by various face shapes and/or beards or facial stubble. In preliminary user testing, individuals with beards or facial stubble could not achieve an acceptable fit factor with the standard protective mask, meaning that they were susceptible to contaminants entering the mask. The CitadelTM respirator design was able to achieve an acceptable fit factor well above the minimum acceptable standard. These promising results showed that people with beards and facial stubble would be significantly less vulnerable to contaminants entering the respirator mask.

The HSI® technical team, Harry Angel and Jordan Bray-Miners, bring over 30 years of experience in human factors for personal protective equipment, biomechanics and instrumentation design.

“The HSI® team is proud to work with DRDC and to advance the HSI® CitadelTM respirator concept to better protect people in the armed forces and wherever such protection might be needed,” says Jordan Bray-Miners, Senior Consultant at HSI .

www.humansys.com

For more than 35 years, with clients in Canada, the U.S. and other countries, HSI® has been a leader in human factors and human system integration support. We work in sectors including defence, emergency responders, health care, occupational safety and utilities. Individually and for teams, HSI® helps integrate people, performance and technology so systems work effectively, efficiently and safely. HSI® services include research, design, validation and training management. We focus on user fit between the abilities of the people and the technologies that together make up any system. In this way, HSI® supports product and system developers as well as procurement decision makers to reduce risks, lower life cycle costs and benefit return on investment.

IDEaS supports the development of solutions from their conceptual stage, through prototype testing and capability development. The program includes several elements that promote collaboration between innovators, provides developmental resources and provides opportunities to interact with DND’s science and military members. Through which all innovators are on an even playing field to solve specific defence and security challenges. For more about the program, see here: www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/programs/defence-ideas

US Army Fields New Chemical Detection Technology

Wednesday, September 9th, 2020

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Chemical weapons pose a serious threat to civilian and warfighter lives, but technology from the U.S. Army Small Business Technology Transfer program reduces those risks. Researchers developed a product to detect chemical weapons accurately at low concentration levels.

Active Army, Reserve and National Guard units started to receive the Chemical Agent Disclosure Spray and the Contamination Indicator/Decontamination Assurance System, known as CIDAS. The Army is fielding it to all units in areas where there is a threat of chemical agents.

The Chemical Agent Disclosure Spray, purchased by FLIR Systems, Inc., has transitioned into the CIDAS Program of Record within the Joint Program Executive Office for CBRN Defense. The research, which began 20 years ago with a business first spun out of the University of Pittsburgh and later acquired by FLIR, as part of a Small Business Technology Transfer contract managed by the Army Research Office.

ARO is an element of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Army Research Laboratory.

The Army funded the basic research behind this technology at the University of Pittsburgh led by Dr. Alan Russell. Russell worked to identify ways to incorporate enzymes into polymers that would be stabilized for use outside the cell and then ultimately used in realistic battlefield environments.

Typically enzymes are not stable outside the living organism, but Russell’s fundamental polymer and enzyme chemistry research identified a way to maintain high activity of the enzymes for sensing chemicals in realistic battlefield conditions. He then started a small business based on those findings, which FLIR purchased.

“Our ability to respond to chemical warfare is a national security challenge that is vital to protecting both civilian and military lives,” said Dr. Stephen Lee, senior scientist at the ARO. “This technology is highly sensitive, providing accurate results on only trace amounts of material, even at concentrations below levels that represent an immediate danger to life and health.”

The new technology uses enzymes (complex proteins naturally produced by living organisms that act as a catalyst for specific biochemical reactions) to drive rapid, color-based reactions with chemical warfare agents. Once applied to a surface as a liquid solution, a vivid color change indicates the exact location of contamination by a specific chemical warfare agent.

Because the underlying chemistry uses enzymes to drive specific biochemical reactions, the technology is highly resistant to potential forms of chemical and environmental interference that might be problematic for conventional detection equipment.

The product’s sensitivity also provides the ability to determine whether decontamination was effective.

“Our Agentase C2 spray technology offers unprecedented performance, enabling rapid detection of highly toxic substances while reducing the lifecycle cost of decontamination operations,” said David Cullin, vice president of business development-Detection for FLIR Systems.

Products previously available for the detection of nerve and blister chemical agents range from simple units that use colorimetric techniques, wherein the presence of a chemical substance is indicated by a specific color change, to more complex systems that use special equipment.

Unfortunately, most colorimetric-based products such as paper detection products or gas detection tubes, can be highly susceptible to chemical interference, which can result in false positive and false negative results, as well as poor sensitivity.

“Through the Army’s Small Business Technology Transfer program, a small business has changed our nation’s ability to respond to chemical attacks,” Lee said. “The Army is taking advantage of the latest breakthroughs in synthetic biology to field new capability and protect national security. Without that program, we’d never have the ability to field this capability.”

The STTR program funds research and technology development with small businesses working in partnership with research institutions, most often colleges or universities. In contrast to the basic research programs managed by ARO, the STTR program focuses primarily on feasibility studies leading to prototype demonstration of technology for specific applications.

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the DOD agency responsible for countering weapons of mass destruction, provided additional funding to bridge the technology from development to capability delivery.

JPEO-CBRND, the DOD entity that manages the nation’s investments in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense equipment, adopted the technology as part of the Domestic Response Capability Kit.

The kit packages the chemical components into a simple, pen-like construct, an easy-to-use point-and-touch detection as well as a spray-based formulation of the same technology. The kits have been fielded to all 57 Army National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams across the country.

Now, National Guard units throughout every state maintain the capability to provide for detection, personal protection, decontamination and medical monitoring against chemical agents.

Additionally, JPEO-CBRND recently awarded FLIR an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity five-year contract worth up to $21.8 million to support the Army’s Contamination Indicator/Decontamination Assurance System program.

This award initiates the full-rate production phase to field the product to units throughout the Army.

Shipments are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2020.

By U.S. Army CCDC Army Research Laboratory Public Affairs

The Dual Nations App for HAZMAT & CBRNe Professionals

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2020

THE DUAL NATIONS App

THERE IS A DIFFERENCE OF COURSE!

Hazmat Incidents typically comprise unplanned, smaller scale accidental and non-weaponized events, whereas CBRNe missions respond to the deliberate use of warfare agents often within the context of planned operations, in a pre-determined battle-space.

BUT….

Crossover occurs in many areas; same vendors, use of equipment, methods of response, detection, decontamination and of course in a terrorist incident – mutual aid post a domestic attack scenario. It makes absolute sense then that operators, professionals, commercial organizations and interested parties share and learn from each other with this command bond and understanding.

Defense Equipment Company is proud to affiliate with the hugely successful Hazmat Nation is now joining forces with the new CBRNe Nation to provide DUAL nationality to the two disciplines! Dual nationals owe allegiance to two Nations. “They are required to obey the laws of both countries, and either country has the right to enforce its laws.”ecome a Citizen of both nations – NO Passport

For more information visit: www.hazmatnation.com