The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is seeking laboratory staffing support services for its BioWatch Laboratory Response Network (LRN) laboratories throughout the United States.
Established in 2003, the mission of the BioWatch program is to provide and maintain a continuous bio-terrorism air monitoring system in large metropolitan areas and coordinate with state and local public health communities to prepare for and respond to a bioterrorist event.
BioWatch currently maintains operational laboratories in approximately 30 jurisdictions across the country. The program must ensure each location is able to perform daily sample collection and analysis in a timely manner and be flexible enough to provide additional coverage for large special security or other high-risk events.
The selected contractor, working directly with the state or local Laboratory Directors in each BioWatch jurisdiction, shall provide qualified laboratory personnel to conduct BioWatch analysis activities at state and municipal public health laboratories. All laboratory personnel shall meet state/local accreditation requirements (e.g. Select Agent Registration, American Society of Clinical Pathologist (ASCP)) as determined by each local Laboratory Director.
The BioWatch Program Office is part of the DHS Office of Health Affairs (OHA) in Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD).
Further requirements are detailed in Solicitation Number: 70RHAD18R00000003.
