The DHS Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office, in partnership with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical and Biological Center, sought to evaluate technologies and procedures to potentially replace the aging BioWatch program. The Biological Detection for the 21st Century (BD21) initiative required rigorous assessment of emerging technologies for bioaerosol detection, identification, and response readiness across the U.S. with the goal of modernizing biological surveillance and enhancing national security.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Technology Demonstration Planning, Assessment, Execution, and Reporting
End User Engagement and Feedback Assessment
2018 to 2024
Intreped provided subject matter expertise in biological detection, surveillance, identification, and operational response. Our team helped design data collection and analysis processes and supported sensor suite deployments in 12 U.S. cities for a year-long test, followed by an extended test bed with multiple sensor suite nodes in New York City. We facilitated workshops with end users and Federal stakeholders and developed reporting structures that captured performance and feedback. Intreped also designed and executed two ambient breeze tunnel evaluations using biosimulants and interferents and developed a field-ready biological aerosol detection bump-check apparatus. This field test tool was adopted by DHS CWMD and MIT Lincoln Laboratory to ensure real-time equipment calibration and test reliability. Throughout, we engaged with stakeholders including DHS divisions, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, state and local public health agencies, and the Metropolitan Transit Authority.
Intreped’s work directly informed DHS CWMD’s acquisition and resource decisions for BD21, enabling evidence-based evaluations of novel biological detection technologies. Our technical planning, stakeholder engagement, and evaluation methodologies led to valid, actionable data for decision makers. The field test apparatus that we developed is now used in expanded assessments, further improving biosurveillance reliability.
