Smiths wins D.C. Metro anti-terrorism contract

The Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro) awarded Smiths Detection a five-year contract to upgrade and maintain the company's PROTECT and FirstView anti-terrorism detection and software systems.

These systems allow transit authorities to monitor multiple chemical warfare sensors, distribute command and control responsibilities among agencies, and integrate Metro's hundreds of cameras into a manageable system. The upgrade will include expanded chemical detection libraries and radiological detection capabilities.

PROTECT, which stands for the Program for Response Options and Technology Enhancements for Chemical/Biological Terrorism, is designed to counter terrorist attacks by providing early warning chemical detection and response protocols for safeguarding public locations. It provides emergency responders accurate information and real-time modeling of hazard zones in large public spaces, significantly reducing emergency response times.

FirstView is a command and control sensor and video integration management system used to control and coordinate thousands of separate cameras and detection devices. It is used in multiple Metro locations for networked CCTV viewing and digital video recording.