Press Release Library
Ahura Scientific Helps New Orleans Fire Department with Hazardous Materials Identification Product Donation
Recent Hazmat Incidents Highlight Continuing Need for Equipment Lost during Hurricane Katrina
Wilmington , MA and New Orleans , LA—June 29, 2007—The New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) today announced that Ahura Scientific, Inc., a leader in handheld systems for chemical identification, has donated a FirstDefender handheld chemical identification system to assist the department's hazardous materials response team. Still recovering from the impact of Hurricane Katrina, NOFD has been unable to replace much of the equipment lost or damaged during the storm. With some fire houses still in temporary trailers, NOFD is operating without equipment that would enable the department to more quickly and effectively respond to hazmat incidents.
"The loss of equipment during Katrina was tremendous, and we still face that loss every day,” said Charles Parent, Superintendent of the New Orleans Fire Department. “Donations like this from Ahura Scientific help keep our communities – and our firefighters - safe.”
“When we learned that the New Orleans Fire Department had so many equipment needs, we knew we needed to step up,” said Douglas Kahn, chief executive officer of Ahura Scientific, Inc. “This department has shown such strength – both during and after the storm – they should have the support, and equipment, needed to protect themselves and their communities from further tragedies. We've spoken with other equipment manufacturers who recognize this need as well and will likely join us in supporting New Orleans ' continuing recovery.”
In addition to a dearth of equipment, NOFD has been impacted by a loss of support facilities such as a State-funded analytical laboratory that previously handled hazardous material analysis. That lab was shut down after Katrina, requiring that most samples now be sent to Shreveport – more than 340 miles away – for routine identification testing. With FirstDefender, NOFD can identify unknown solid and liquid chemicals in the field in a matter of seconds, increasing firefighter safety and allowing the department to quickly remediate potentially hazardous situations.
FirstDefender was first used in New Orleans immediately following Hurricane Katrina, when Ahura Scientific provided two units to aid clean-up efforts, with one being used at the Louisiana Superdome.
FirstDefender is deployed by hazmat teams across the country including the Fire Departments of New York , Washington DC , Orlando and Seattle . Numerous federal agencies including the U.S. Army, U.S. Customs and Immigration, U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are actively using the product, along with more than 150 other agencies in North America, Europe and Asia . Independently tested by the U.S. Army's Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC), FirstDefender is available via federal and state grants, the New York State HIRE contract, the GSA schedule and CEDAP.
About Ahura Scientific, Inc.
Ahura Scientific, Inc. develops rugged, ultra-compact, field-enabled optical systems for the immediate identification and authentication of liquid and solid chemical substances. Customers include the homeland security, life sciences, industrial and medical markets. Manufactured in the USA in an ISO 9001-certified facility, the company's products offer exceptional portability and unparalleled performance.
More information at www.ahurascientific.com.
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Media Contacts:
Captain Terry Hardy Sr.,
New Orleans Fire Department
504.658.4713 phone;
504.671.3939 weekend/holiday;
504.565.7858 fax
Kerstin Barr, Ahura Scientific, Inc.
978-642-2547 phone
kbarr@ahurascientific.com