Spokane, WA – June 8, 2005 – GenPrime Inc., the world’s leading producer of broad-spectrum biological detection equipment, is expanding distribution after its recently acclaimed biodetection system, the Prime Alert, was selected as a tool of choice by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). Last March, the USPIS installed Prime Alert biodetection systems nationwide. The agency also announced plans to further expand its use of the Prime Alert system in responding to all types of white powder incidents.
“The USPIS has really taken the lead in developing a standardized response protocol that can be reproduced by government agencies and first response teams across the country,” said GenPrime CEO Johnny Humphreys. “They have been aggressively seeking the best solution available to this problem and have done a good job of designing an effective protocol for handling these situations. This agency is setting the standard in this area.”
A broad-spectrum test such as the Prime Alert allows first responders to screen suspicious substances for all bacterial agents of concernentified by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Rather than attempting toentify a substance with a “guess and check” method, the Prime Alert positively or negatively indicates whether an unknown substance contains harmful concentrations of bacteria or toxins and preserves the sample. If positive, the contained substance can be sent to a laboratory for comprehensive evaluation and retained as evidence.
Designed with first responders in mind, the Prime Alert concept directly addresses incident responders’ primary responsibility of simply determining whether a substance represents a credible, dangerous threat. By enabling first responder to simultaneously rule out all bacterial agents of concern, the Prime Alert becomes the most comprehensive piece of biodetection equipment in the first response toolbox.
Independently evaluated by a national laboratory, the Prime Alert uses a patented fluorescent detection technology to rapidly determine the presence of harmful microbes in foreign substances. Portability, ease-of-use, and the ability to determine whether or not an unknown substance is harmful in less than 10 minutes are features that enable the kit to be deployed in any situation.
The USPIS joins a growing number of state and global government organizations deploying Prime Alert to protect first responders, employees and the general public from the threat of bioterrorism. Current customers range from municipal fire departments and state-led security consortiums to international defense departments.
About GenPrime GenPrime, Inc. specializes in the development of rapid microbial screening tests designed to detect biological substances in the field. The company is committed to becoming the leading provider of advanced testing technologies for a secure and healthy world. Company headquarters are in Spokane, Washington. For more information, call 866-624-9855 or visit www.genprime.com
Contact: Buck Somes GenPrime, Inc. Phone: (509) 624-9855 Email: bsomes@genprime.com