Dept of Homeland Security on bio-threat pilot

US: ICx Technologies, Inc., a developer of advanced sensor technologies for homeland security, force protection and commercial applications, announced that it has been awarded a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contract to participate in a FY2010 mass transit security pilot program.

The focus of this pilot deployment is to test new sensors that can rapidly detect and identify the potential release of a bio-threat agent as part of the DHS S&T Detect-to-Protect (D2P) Project. The D2P Project is focused on developing rapid biological detection technologies and sensor network architectures for indoor environments. For this pilot deployment, a network of rapid response bio-detectors will be evaluated in a mass transit system. The pilot program is anticipated to begin in early 2010.

As part of the program activities, ICx will provide IBAC real time biological aerosol threat monitors and additional advanced prototype sensor hardware. The IBAC is a continuously operating indoor or outdoor monitor that provides early warning of an airborne biological agent attack. The IBAC facilitates the process of identifying bio-terror agents to allow timely containment, treatment and remediation.