LEESBURG, Va., Jan. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- A-TEK, Inc. announced today it has
been awarded a four-year, four-month contract to provide laboratory staffing
services to the Department of Homeland Security's BioWatch program. The
contract, valued at more than
"We are honored DHS has shown its confidence in A-TEK as a leading provider of high-quality support services," said Debbie Rieger , President and CEO of A-TEK. "We look forward to serving our nation on this important program," she said.
A-TEK has been outsourcing similar services to DHS in the past. Today's announcement is significant in that A-TEK will be providing the services directly. "This contract saves millions of dollars for the government and provides a critical component to our nation's defense infrastructure," said Ms. Rieger .
BioWatch began, in part, as a system to address biological releases in the wake of anthrax tainted mailings in 2001. It was later implemented following the President's State of the Union Address in January 2003 . Since that time, BioWatch has continuously monitored select urban environments to provide an early warning system to detect the intentional release of select aerosolized biological agents. It is the cornerstone in a comprehensive strategy for countering terrorism.
The program uses a series of collectors co-located with Environmental Protection Agency air quality monitors. These devices collect airborne particles onto filters which are subsequently transported to laboratories for analysis. It is expected that the system will provide early detection of a biological pathogen release, alerting authorities before a population begins to show symptoms which may provide the opportunity to deliver more focused and timely prophylaxis, thereby decreasing morbidity and mortality.
According to Ms. Rieger , the contract calls for A-TEK to provide laboratory staffing services to BioWatch laboratories throughout the United States ; personnel are engaged in conducting sophisticated laboratory analyses to protect the public.
About A-TEK, Inc.: A-TEK (www.a-tek.net) is an award-winning, privately held government services company successfully serving federal agencies since 1996. A-TEK's reputation of providing high quality, professional and proactive services reflects its commitment to produce superior results and satisfied customers. A-TEK, Inc. -- Where Talent and Technology Unite!
SOURCE A-TEK, Inc.
