This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
BIODETECTION


Urban deployment of


sampler technology used to protect facilities and the public.


Field trials are required to establish proven operational performance in normal environmental conditions.


PREPAREDNESS THROUGH


Dycor’s CFLAPS biological detector: a fi elded, proven leader in biological detection instrumentation.


On 27 April 2006, former UN Secretary General Koffi Annan said: “The most important under-addressed threat relating to terrorism, and one which acutely requires new thinking on the part of the international community, is that of terrorists using a biological weapon.” A year later, the European Commission’s Green Paper on Bio-Preparedness stated “the risk of bioterrorist attack has been statistically low, but its consequences can be devastating. If a deliberate introduction of deadly pathogens or a naturally occurring disease outbreak were to occur in the European Union or be imported from a third country, it is possible that it could aff ect several Member States simultaneously or spread across borders and have considerable economic and social impact.”


H


owever, on the surface, much appears to have changed since those words were spoken over 6 years ago. With each passing year without a specifi c incident or even rumoured threats, coupled with the neutralization of key leaders


within al-Qaeda and corresponding decline in dramatic events perpetrated by militant factions, the threat perception of a bio-attack continues to decline. While a reduction in threat perception must certainly be considered a good thing, when combined with the economic crises experienced throughout the world, we have borne witness to signifi cant budget cuts and redirected spending from what might no longer be seen as a top priority. In the past, bio-preparedness has correlated along with


the perceived threat level of chemical attack as the two capabilities are oſt en group together by procurement agencies. However, more recent rumours of Bashar al-Assad’s willingness and possible actual deployment of chemical weapons in Syria have not had a similar impact. Given pandemic outbreaks of several notable pathogens


over the past number of years, this is perhaps a more likely threat scenario compared with one of man-made/terrorist origins, yet it would bear the same sobering reality among the general population. And in the absence of an actual incident or signifi cant credible threat, limited budgets of economically


84 CBNW 2013/02


buff eted nations’ defence and public health agencies are not readily or easily focused on the development and maintenance of a biological detection capability. In that regard, it is unfortunate that signifi cant market growth typically comes as a consequence of a serious tragedy or terrible assault on innocent people.


Shiſt ing focus, advancing technologies In spite of this, during these periods of calm there has been slow but steady interest in biodetection products and services by researchers, private companies, and military and public health agencies interested in fi eld-proven technology and expertise, such as that provided by Dycor. We have seen a shiſt in focus to a market immediately adjacent to pure military defence capability, namely, that of public health – in particular, the security and intelligence relating to pandemic preparedness and mass public gatherings such as large sports, religious or cultural events or even the daily commute within the megacities of the world today. Dycor has been involved in providing technology, and more importantly, tactical support for the deployment of detection and sampling capability at these kinds of international mass gathering events such as the Olympics in Vancouver and international meetings such as the G8/G20 in Toronto, and deployment with the Canadian Public Health Agency during the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak in Taiwan and Canada.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100