Edgewood, MD – Smiths Detection has announced an exclusive worldwide partnership with GenPrime to distribute its leading, early screening bio-threat detection system, Prime Alert. Smiths Detection will leverage its strong industry customer relationships, experience and distribution channels to market the powder threat bio-detector around the world.

Mal Maginnis, president of global military and emergency response for Smiths Detection, said: “This partnership highlights Smiths Detection’s commitment to provide first responders around the world with the best technology. Prime Alert will expand the applications of our existing solutions as well as give first responders additional field capabilities critical to mitigate potential biological incidents as quickly and accurately as possible.”

Prime Alert is a portable detection system that quickly determines the presence of potentially life-threatening microbes such as anthrax and plague as well as bio-toxins such as ricin and botulinum by providing a highly-accurate broad-spectrum analysis. Secondary testing with complementary technologies such as Smiths Detection’s Bio-Seeq Plus can then provide more sensitive and specific identification of high threat biological weapon agents (BWAs), giving first responders and officials the information they need for protection.

Buck Somes, chief executive officer of GenPrime, said: “Smiths Detection is an ideal partner with a trusted customer base that will greatly benefit from advantages that Prime Alert offers. It also offers a breadth of complementary products that can be nicely packaged together. We look forward to both a meaningful and long-term relationship.”

The Prime Alert systems was demonstrated at the 2009 AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, DC from October 5-7 2009 at Smiths Detections’ booth (2361).