Field Forensics Launches Product to Detect Explosives in Cargo

LARGO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Field Forensics Inc. (http://www.fieldforensics.com), developer of explosives detection devices for military, homeland security, law enforcement and other commercial or government applications, has announced its FAST (Forensic Aroma Sensing Technology) products that can identify, memorize and analyze odors from explosives.

“Our detection cartridges work with clients’ existing instrumentation, already deployed at airports and shipping hubs around the world. They are reusable and can be installed quickly and cost effectively, requiring only minutes of training but having a huge impact on detection results”

“Security professionals know you can never stop looking for explosives and having only one level of screening is not enough,” says Craig Johnson, Field Forensics CEO. “The recent experience with shipments from Yemen illustrates the importance of having multiple systems in place that support anti-terrorism efforts. Our FAST system adds a dramatic improvement to the hardware used to detect explosives and reduces the reliance on tip-offs and luck. Nobody wants to rely on luck."

Field Forensics’ products rely on knowledge developed through K-9 research at Florida International University’s Forensic Science Lab that emulate how a dog’s nose and brain identify odors. “We refer to our FAST products as ‘canine in a can’ to help people understand the concept,” says Johnson.

However, the company goes beyond canine capabilities with its Neat Odor Signature that provides a more consistent and always available methodology that analyzes the odor signature rather than relying on detection of explosives particles. This is particularly important in dealing with packages that are well wrapped and would not allow explosives particles to escape.

The Field Forensics product operates in two modes, static and dynamic. FAST can be employed in either mode but when used together they further increase a security protocol’s effectiveness.

The static mode employs a FAST detection cartridge attached inside a space such as a cargo container, where it absorbs and memorizes the air inside the container, trapping the aroma and any explosives odor signature for rapid analysis when the cargo reaches an intermediate destination.

Security teams use the dynamic mode before cargo is loaded or at any time during transport by drawing large volumes of air through a FAST cartridge with a vacuum device to sample odors in a shipping container.

The twofold level of sampling reduces the risk for the shipper and the ultimate recipient of the package being shipped.

“Our detection cartridges work with clients’ existing instrumentation, already deployed at airports and shipping hubs around the world. They are reusable and can be installed quickly and cost effectively, requiring only minutes of training but having a huge impact on detection results,” adds Johnson. “Their ease of use and low cost make them ideal for shippers who want to achieve closer to 100 percent screening levels.”

Field Forensics Inc. (http://www.fieldforensics.com) supports law enforcement, intelligence agencies, military commercial security and other government forensics laboratories, and first responders with unique and patent-protected field sampling devices. These devices include those that detect explosives immediately with no ancillary power supply and those that sample organic molecules (drugs, hazardous materials, explosives and chemical weapons) for rapid analysis in analytical instruments.

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