Providence Port to Receive Chemical Threat Warning Installation
Smiths Detection today announced the award of a contract for its FirstView early warning chemical threat detection and video management system to be installed at the Port of Providence, R.I. Funded through a competitive Department of Homeland Security grant, the system is designed to alert authorities to chemical hazards in the port area and provide real-time video and sensor data to first responders and emergency personnel.
It combines Smiths Detection’s chemical detection capabilities (Centurion II) and FirstView video and sensor management software with Raytheon’s Athena command and control system to monitor traffic in Narragansett Bay. Using radar, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and long-range video cameras, vessels can be remotely identified and tracked from the harbor entrance at Newport to the loading docks at the Port of Providence, the company said.
Smiths Detection Vice Presidet Jamie Edgar said, “Our system provides a true layered approach to maritime security. By integrating live video, data management and immediate warning capabilities with fixed sensors in critical areas, FirstView and Athena will help protect against intentional or accidental chemical incidents.”
Providence Mayor David Cicilline, whose city administration awarded the contract, said, “These chemical sensors will provide our emergency response personnel with critical information needed to accurately evaluate potential threats and mobilize quickly to protect the residents of our state. This state-of-the art technology, developed right here in Rhode Island, is also helping to retain jobs and put people to work.”
System data will be monitored by the Providence Emergency Management Agency. According to Smiths Detection, in the event of a chemical incident, authorities at the command center will be notified within seconds about chemical identification, concentration and approximate location in order to initiate response protocols.