Originally published by POPULAR SCIENCE
The violent, deadly incursion into the Capitol last week produced a shocking stream of images, and among them was the bizarre sight of some people wearing spacesuit-like transparent pieces of gear over their heads.
Read more …ILC Dover escape hoods given to lawmakers during Capitol riots
From Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210107-un-official-unsure-chemical-weapons-completely-eliminated-from-syria/
January 7, 2021 at 10:37 am
The United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu said the international community cannot yet have full confidence that Syria's chemical weapons programme has been eliminated.
Speaking before the United Nations Security Council via video‑teleconference on Tuesday, Nakamitsu said outstanding issues related to Syria's initial declaration of its chemical weapons stockpile and programme still cannot be considered "accurate and complete", explaining that the assessment by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is susceptible to "identified gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies that remain unresolved".
The UN official said 19 issues remain outstanding with relations to Syria's chemical weapons stockpile, including a chemical weapons production facility declared as never having been used for production.
"However, a review of all materials gathered by the Declaration Assessment Team since 2014, including samples, indicates that production and/or weaponization of chemical warfare nerve agents took place there," she added, noting that Syria also has yet to respond to a request by the Technical Secretariat to declare the exact types and quantities of chemical agents produced and/or weaponised at the site.
She stressed on the importance of holding to account all those who have used chemical weapons.
IN its 2017 report, Human Rights Watch said: "New evidence supports the conclusion that Syrian government forces have used nerve agents on at least four occasions in recent months: on April 4, 2017, in a chemical attack on Khan Sheikhoun that killed at least 90 people, and on three other occasions in December 2016 and March 2017."
While our primary public health concern at this moment is COVID, and rightly so, we need ensure that the common flu is not forgotten this year.
Many of the most vulnerable are staying home to avoid exposure to COVID, raising concern that flu vaccination rates will be much lower this year.
While COVID vaccines are still being approved, and rolled out, we do have a means of preventing tens of thousands of deaths from influenza.
Below we have included links to two pages that cover the all of the essentials on the Flu shot during the pandemic, as well as some seasonal health information that helps holistically.
The team at CBRNe World have had theirs, join us and stay influenza free this year.
https://www.helpadvisor.com/conditions/flu-vaccine-resource-guide
https://www.medicareadvantage.com/resources/seasonal-health-guide-seniors
Due to the overwhelming success of thier hands-on virtual software training, Mirion are excited to announce the extension of their program into 2021. As many of us are part of the new remote working environment Mirion understand that completing your training program requirements can be a challenge. With their hands-on virtual training they have been able to provide the same expert level, hands-on training you are accustomed to.
Check out the 2021 Mirion software training classes now available virtually with hands-on software labs!
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.”
Flir continutes to push ahead into the robotics market with another purchase to expand their portfolio, they announced recently. They have acquired Altavian, a privately-held manufacturer of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) for defense and public safety customers. Altavian’s airframes integrate multiple sensors, including FLIR thermal technology, to provide users with decision support and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability.
Based in Gainesville, Florida and founded in 2011, Altavian designs and manufacturers Group 1 UAS solutions for long or short range operations. With both quadcopter and fixed-wing UAS designs, Altavian’s expertise includes aeronautics, avionics, and software, and its solutions are engineered around an open system architecture aligned to the needs of government and defense customers. Altavian is one of five drone manufacturers approved by the U.S. Department of Defense under the Blue sUAS program to sell to the U.S. military and federal agencies.
“Altavian’s proven engineering expertise and assets will allow us to offer customers the most comprehensive solution portfolio of any American sUAS provider,” said Roger Wells, General Manager of the Unmanned Systems and Integrated Solutions business of FLIR Systems’ Defense Technologies Segment, under which Altavian will be integrated. “With the addition of both a low-cost, rapidly deployable quadcopter and a longer range fixed-wing UAS, FLIR is strengthening its already impressive drone lineup, including our Black Hornet® and SkyRaider™ platforms used extensively by militaries around the globe. We’re excited about the multiple new franchise opportunities FLIR will be able to pursue for defense, public safety, and industrial markets worldwide.”
Kingdom of Thailand has incorporated seven units of the aunav.NEXT robot. Developed and manufactured entirely in Spain, its two synchronized arms make it unique on the market.
The customer, an active counter-terrorism unit, was also supplied with seven aunav.VAN command and control vehicles, the rapid intervention and transport unit developed to meet the needs of CBRN and explosive deactivation units.
This operation gives recognition in Thai market, which expands the brand’s presence in Asia. The continent´s security forces in countries such as Vietnam, China, and India already trust aunav robots. aunav has more than 200 units sold in 16 countries worldwide.
This acquisition allows the counter-terrorism unit to neutralize possible threats in various southern provinces of the country. The aunav.NEXT robot combined with the aunav.VAN units enhance the ability of the customer to safely disable improvised explosive devices hidden in motorcycles or other vehicles.
The aunav.NEXT robot is developed in Spain in collaboration with bomb squad units. It is specifically designed for the deactivation of improvised explosives (IED), ammunition control (EOD), or CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) activities. It is an advanced system that effectively combines strength and dexterity thanks to its two synchronized arms, capable of lifting up to 250 kg.
The aunav.VAN is a light transport and rapid intervention vehicle, specifically designed to meet the operational needs of aunav robots as a control center unit at the intervention site.
aunav is part of the Robotics Unit of everis Aerospace, Defense and Security (everis ADS), and designs and manufactures all its products in Spain, at the production center located in Binéfar (Huesca).
By CBRNE Central
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS) has launched a new RadMed app, providing a wide range of resources on the medical management of radiation incidents that can be downloaded free on mobile devices and utilized while on the go.
The REAC/TS RadMed App includes:
“The REAC/TS RadMed app offers healthcare professionals, emergency responders and planners, public health professionals and health physicists easy access to essential medical information and resources when dealing with a radiation incident,” said REAC/TS Director Carol Iddins. “We created the RadMed app with our target audiences in mind to provide easy access to the resources they need.”
Visit the RadMed page to learn more about the RadMed app, and download it for free by searching for REAC/TS RadMed in the Apple and Android app stores.
By CBRNe Central
Curriculum developers at the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Center for Domestic Preparedness are putting the final touches on a long-anticipated Chemical Operations Support Specialist (COSS) course.
During chemical emergencies, routine decisions and operations for Federal, State, local, territorial, and tribal (FSLTT) response agencies become increasingly complex. These actions require chemical experts to safeguard the public and responders.
The five-day, 40-hour course is geared at safety officers, hazardous materials technicians, toxicologists, chemists, and other individuals with at least 5 years’ experience and training that goes beyond standard HAZMAT technician training. The course will provide them the skills to function as technical advisors to incident commanders and operations center officials during chemical emergencies.
The CDP is creating the course in partnership with FEMA’s CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) and the Department of Homeland Security’s CWMD (Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction) offices.
The developers say they anticipate the course to be launched as early as January.
On December 3, 2020, AeroVironment Inc. entered into a Share Purchase Agreement with Unmanned Systems Investments to purchase 100% of Telerob Gesellschaft für Fernhantierungstechnik mbH, including Telerob’s wholly owned subsidiary, Telerob USA, Inc.
The acquisition is expected to close by the spring of 2021, subject to German government clearance. Upon closing of the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement, Telerob will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of AeroVironment Inc., which plans to retain the site in Germany and its entire team. The transaction will combine leaders in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) for broader, integrated mission solutions in air, near-space, ground and maritime domains, giving the chance to deliver new, multi-domain capabilities to defense, homeland security and commercial customers.
AeroVironment’s strong partnership with the United States Department of Defense and presence in 50 allied nations, combined with Telerob’s 45 nation footprint and multi-industry customer base, create significant opportunities for growth and enhancement.
“AeroVironment is a leader in unmanned systems, with a compelling vision for integrated robotic solutions that Telerob can help to achieve,” said Norbert Gebbeken, Telerob managing director. “We are excited to become part of the AeroVironment team and look forward to developing and delivering the advanced, integrated robotic solutions that will expand our reach and help our customers succeed. We are confident that working together, we will accelerate the progress underway and create greater opportunities to expand our geographic and customer footprint.”
LMI will help the Department of Homeland Security's Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office manage chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense efforts under a potential $77.6M contract, ExecutiveBiz reported Tuesday.
The nonprofit company said Nov. 30 it provided a threat detection technology prototype to the Joint Program Executive Office for CBRN Defense following its acquisition of Tauri Group last year.
“We are honored to support DHS in its CWMD mission, helping stakeholders from federal decision-makers to first responders possess the capabilities to deter, detect, prevent, and respond to CBRN threats,” said John Selman, vice president of national security programs at LMI.
Kromek, a worldwide supplier of detection technology focusing on the medical, security screening and nuclear markets, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded two contract extensions by a European government-related company to provide network solutions of its D3S-related technologies to counter nuclear terrorism. The contract extensions are worth a total of £460k and will be delivered in the current financial year.
The contract extensions are a further step towards Kromek providing a full wide-area system roll-out for this customer, a company that works with a European government to detect and protect against potential nuclear threats. Kromek’s solutions will be used for inland security wide-area threat monitoring with the purpose of protecting critical infrastructure and public spaces and includes the provision of enhancing network data security. This brings the total awarded by this customer to just over £2.5m over the last two years.
Dr Arnab Basu, CEO of Kromek, said: “These contract extensions are indicative of the rebound in commercial activity we are experiencing across our business and further evidence that normal trading patterns are returning for us as well as our customers.
“The D3S family of products is at the forefront of the innovative solutions being adopted by governments worldwide for countering threat of nuclear terrorism. These products, as part of our radiation detection solutions, have been deployed in over 20 countries to keep critical infrastructure and public spaces safe. We look forward to working with this customer and help with their roll-out programme over the next few years.”
Rigaku ResQ portfolio of handheld 1064nm Raman analyzers to be featured at CBRNe Convergence 2020 Bitesize Boston Event
Rigaku Analytical Devices, the pioneer in handheld 1064nm Raman laser technology, will showcase its portfolio of handheld Raman analyzers during the CBRNe Convergence 2020 Bitesize Boston Event being held December 1-4, 2020.
The CBRNe Convergence Virtual Event is a four-day event offering training and learning opportunities related to the latest trends, incidents, and response tactics for responders in the chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosives (CBRNe) community. In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about new and existing CBRN and Hazmat products in the virtual exhibition hall.
The Rigaku ResQ portfolio of handheld 1064nm Raman analyzers offer first responders, border protection and law enforcement an advanced method for identifying potential chemical threats. The utilization of 1064nm Raman means the Progeny ResQ and ResQ CQL analyzers have the ability to overcome fluorescence interference, thus providing a rapid response of less than 1 minute, the ability to scan dirty or colored substances, and the capability to scan through translucent packaging – keeping first responders safer by avoiding exposure. With a standard library of over 12,000 compounds – including household chemicals, TICS/TIMS, explosives, narcotics, pesticides, and steroids - Rigaku analyzers deliver the most comprehensive substance analysis tool. With the combination of optional QuickDetect Technology, the ResQ CQL analyzer has the added capabilities to detect non-visible amounts of narcotics and explosives.
The ResQ and ResQ CQL analyzers are supported by Rigaku’s global sales and support distribution team, offering 24//7 Reachback support, library updates and software upgrades for the life of the analyzer.
To register for the CBRNe Convergence 2020 Bitesize Boston Event, visit https://cbrneworld.com/events/bitesize. For more information on the Rigaku portfolio of handheld 1064nm Raman analyzers, please visit https://www.rigaku.com/industry/safety-security
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