The Government Accountability Office has rejected a protest by Lovelace Scientific and Technical Services over the Department of Homeland Security’s potential 10-year, $481 million award last fall to Battelle Memorial Institute to continue managing the National Biodefense Analysis Countermeasures Center, also called the NBACC. Lovelace charged that DHS unreasonably evaluated its proposal and failed to mitigate an apparent organizational conflict of interest. A stop work order in effect since the protest was filed was lifted on Feb. 8, permitting Battelle to begin work under the new contract.
Smiths Detection has received an initial $1.3 million order from the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) to provide its RadSeeker handheld radioisotope detector and identifier devices (RIIDs). The award was made under a potential $143 million contract awarded the company last fall to provide various DHS components with RIIDs.
The Department of Homeland Security in preparation for Super Bowl 50 in San Francisco on Sunday deployed a range of security equipment to screen fans and vendors for potential threats. Customs and Border Protection officers used non-intrusive inspection equipment to scan cargo entering the stadium for contraband such as narcotics, weapons, and explosives. The Domestic Nuclear Detection Office deployed Mobile Detection Deployment Units, including fixed and mobile radiological and nuclear detection assets. The Federal Emergency Management Agency provide Mobile Emergency Response Support units with mobile telecommunications, operational support, life support, and power generation for on-site management in case of disaster. The Office of Health Affairs deployed a network of BioWatch detectors to provide warning in the event of a biological agent release.