Improved First Responder Ensembles Against CBRN Terrorism (IF REACT)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Security
Destination: Restoring security and safety in case of crisis
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: France,France,Germany,Czechia,France,Netherlands,United Kingdom,Croatia,Netherlands
Call:  (FP7-SEC-2011-1, 2011)
Start date: 2012-01-01
End date: 2014-12-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 5243368.0
EU funding (EUR): 3394615.4
Participants: 13
Project status: CLOSED

IF REACT answers to the call SEC‐2011.4.4‐1 CBRN individual Protective Clothing where the task is “to develop innovative protective clothing for first responders and/or for the public in case of a CBRN crisis.” IF REACT takes both the danger of terrorist attacks using CBRN‐means and releases other than attack, such as pandemic outbreaks, accidents and other incidents involving dangerous substances, into account in order to achieve its main goal of developing innovative protective clothing for first responders. Following a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of existing equipment, IF REACT has chosen to focus on the most emergent threats and to fulfil the needs of the end users who are in greatest need of innovative protection. Therefore: 1. The project will focus on protection against Chemical, Biological and Radiological threats and hazards, it will not handle Nuclear threats or hazards; 2. The project will focus on civil first responders and will not address military needs while being open for further dual uses if needed; 3. The project will develop solutions for a number of professional responders, according to the typology developed by CEN Workshop Agreement 43, (Document CWA 16106). This project will focus on initial responders, professional CBRN professionals and emergency services including medical personnel. The goals of the IF REACT project are as follows: • Develop a tool that allows end users and procurement staff to select the best PPE system for the mission of the first responder and the expected threat. • Develop a PPE system that: o will address the real protection needs of the typical users, both with regards to the level of protection as well as its total capacity; o Provides adequate protection, while keeping the burden of the system as low as possible; o The proposed protective systems will include solutions for hand and foot protection that take safety, ergonomic, and logistic aspects of the typical user group into consideration; • The protective system will provide added functionality regarding the C4I needs of the typical wearer. Typical First Responder tactical needs as communication, (indoor) localisation & situational awareness, will be enabled by affordable, robust and easy to use technology. Wearability, graceful degradation and logistics will dictate innovative approaches on the material as well as on the system level; • The suit will be configured as a platform that carries the energy and the connections to the components of the sensor subsystem. The sensors itself will be housed in the suit as well as in the respirator, depending on their function. The configuration of the system will enable other / new energy cells and sensors to be connected whenever required. • This platform will be interfaced with the external infrastructure to get extra capabilities/situation awareness without constraints and cost on the suit itself.

Keywords: to be done