Did You Know?
Ever since the 1995 sarin attack in a Tokyo subway, authorities have recognized that large interior structures are vulnerable to chemical and biological attack. Particularly at risk are venues like subways, airports, and government office buildings, where people are concentrated.
Opportunity
Proper preplanning, along with advanced technology, can provide facility management with an early warning to apply emergency management tools and protocols. As a result, thousands of lives can be saved in a chemical agent incident.
Solution
Scientists at Argonne National Laboratory have created an automated hardware/software system to improve the detection of and reaction to complex terrorist attacks involving chemical agents. The system, called PROTECT, integrates chemical detectors, closed-circuit TV, dispersion modeling, and optimal response protocols. PROTECT provides accurate, early detection, and verification of a terrorist threat involving a chemical agent in confined spaces within densely populated areas, such as in city buildings and urban transit systems.
Results
Key features of the PROTECT system include:
- Automated surveillance and alarm. Eliminates the need for continuous operator supervision.
- Customizability. For optimal detection in dense urban infrastructures.
- Rapid detection. Quickly pinpoints release areas and projected dispersion zones for faster response and containment. Reduces response time from over an hour to less than 5 minutes.
- Accuracy. Low false-positive rate alarm algorithms backed by closed-circuit television for fast verification.
- Compatibility. Can be used with many detector types.
1 PROTECT has been licensed to private industry since 2007. Argonne continues development, provides scientific expertise, and support.