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N A T I O N A L L A W E N F O R C E M E N T A N D C O R R E C T I O N S T E C H N O L O G Y C E N T E R
A program of the National Institute of Justice
TECH b • e • a • t
From Summer 2006 TechBeat
Dedicated to Reporting Developments in Technology for Law Enforcement, Corrections, and Forensic Sciences
A firefighter approaches a burning building . . . an emer-
gency medical services worker reaches victims of an
accident involving a chemical spill . . . a law enforcement
officer investigates the opening of a suspicious package
filled with powder. Foremost on their minds: whether their
respiratory equipment is working properly and providing
the protection they need to stay alive.
In 1999—2 years before the equipment needs of emer-
gency responders were brought to the forefront by the
events of September 11, 2001—the Federal Government
initiated a program to coordinate the development and
implementation of standards and testing programs for the
protective equipment emergency responders need in inci-
dents involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear,
or explosive (CBRNE) devices.
Congress directed the Office of Justice Programs’
National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to do this work under
the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of
1996. NIJ funded the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) Office of Law Enforcement Standards
(OLES) to do the work in accordance with the national
strategy developed by the Interagency Board for Equip-
ment Standardization and Interoperability. OLES estab-
lished the First Responder CBRNE Personal Protective
Equipment Standards Development Program. Although
the program initially focused on chemical and biological
protective equipment, it was later expanded to include
work on radiation and explosives detection and
decontamination.
“In the event of an incident involving CBRNE agents
or weapons, first responders need adequate protection
so they can help victims without becoming victims them-
selves,” says program manager Phil Mattson, who joined
the p