300 Tiger VOC detectors for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance

Ion Science supplies 300 Tiger VOC detectors to Germany’s federal office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance

Market-leading hand-held PIDs part of vital equipment on board government body’s ‘first responder’ reconnaissance vehicles

Ion Science has recently supplied 300 Tiger handheld volatile organic compound (VOC) detectors to Germany’s Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) where they are part of the vital chemical measurement system onboard ‘first responder’ reconnaissance vehicles. The hand-held photoionisation detector (PID) was chosen for its industry-beating anti-contamination design and ability to provide continuous, real-time measurements reflecting the potentially hazardous situation.

In response to new threats such as 11 September 2001 and the flood catastrophe of 2002, the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) was established on 1 May 2004 as part of the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The interdisciplinary approach of this office includes all services of civil safety prevention and links them to an efficient protection system for the country’s population and its basic survival needs.

Each of the 300 reconnaissance vehicles in operation across Germany will have a Tiger instrument on board. The 4x4s are used to measure, trace and report chemical contamination, find debris and to mark and monitor contaminated areas. The crew consists of four people; two qualified teams per vehicle can operate in turns.