PositiveID's
Chief Science Officer
Co-Authors Report on Need for Department of Homeland
Security's National Biosurveillance Integration Center
NBIC was established to help thwart the real threat
of bioterrorism attacks in the U.S.
Delray Beach, FL
-- February 12, 2018 -- InvestorsHub NewsWire
-- PositiveID Corporation ("PositiveID" or "Company") (OTC:PSID),
a life sciences company focused on detection and diagnostics, and
its ExcitePCR subsidiary announced today that
its
Chief
Science Officer, Dr. Kimothy Smith,
has
co-authored a
report for the National Security Forum on the Need for
the Department of Homeland Security's
National Biosurveillance
Integration
Center (NBIC). The NBIC is the primary
entity responsible for sharing information across the federal
government on bio-threats for rapid and effective response
to help ensure the
safety of U.S. citizens.
The Department of Homeland
Security's (DHS) National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC)
was created in the wake of the 2001 Amerithrax/anthrax attacks, 9/11 attacks on the
World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and global infectious
diseases. NBIC's mission is
to
share information on biothreats to enable federal, state, and local
agencies to respond to bioterrorism events
quickly and effectively. The future of the NBIC is
now uncertain, while bioterrorism attacks in
the United States remain a real threat.
The report, also co-authored by
James M Wilson V, MD FAAP, outlines the need for an
appropriate system
of assessing risk and communicating that risk in a well-considered,
balanced manner without the need to generate
hype. That
hype can result in unbalanced threat assessments
and highly reactive responses, which end up harming local responders and
citizens.
The report states,
"We are
concerned to hear recently that NBIC is being considered for
programmatic cancellation by the newly formed Combatting Weapons of
Mass Destruction Directorate of DHS. We are even more concerned
given we have, for several years now beginning with the Obama
Administration, witnessed a dramatic scaling back of
biointelligence assets and capabilities that leave our nation
without the technical advantage we once had. We estimate we are now
20 years behind where we were at the start of the first term of
Obama's presidency. At worse, we have provided (and continue to
provide) robust demonstration to our adversaries that we are
unorganized, undecided, and woefully
ill-prepared."
The report suggests that
all prior
Directors and Chiefs of Operations of NBIC should
convene a transparent public hearing on
NBIC before Congress, where they present their perspectives
regarding the challenges and most importantly, potential solutions
that will truly enable a full realization of the mission
they
envisioned for NBIC
and the
U.S.
About the
Authors
Prior to moving to the private
sector in 2008, Dr. Smith was the Senior Advisor for International
Biodefense for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of
Health Affairs. While in this position he served as a detailee to
the Office of International Health & Biodefense of the U.S.
State Department. In his tenure at State, Dr. Smith served as a
subject matter expert working with international partners to
promote coordinated biodefense and emergency response strategies
and to open dialogues on food and agricultural security and safety.
Dr. Smith's responsibilities at DHS included serving as the Acting
Director of the National Biosurveillance Integration Center and in
2005, Dr. Smith was named as the first Chief Veterinarian for DHS
and Chief Scientist for the Office of Health Affairs.
Dr. Wilson was the first
operations chief of the Department of Homeland Security's National
Biosurveillance Integration Center and worked with the Intelligence
Community during the birth of formal health security intelligence
in the mid-2000s. Dr. Wilson led the private intelligence teams
that provided warning of the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic,
discovery of the United Nations as the source of the 2010 cholera
disaster in Haiti, and several investigations of alleged and
confirmed biological weapon deployments. He is currently the
Director of the Nevada Medical Intelligence Center in the School of
Community Health Sciences and a practicing pediatrician in the
Department of Pediatrics at the University of Nevada,
Reno.
About PositiveID
Corporation
PositiveID Corporation is a
life sciences tools and diagnostics company with an extensive
patent portfolio. PositiveID develops biological detection and
diagnostics systems, specializing in the development of
microfluidic systems for the automated preparation of and
performance of biological assays. PositiveID is also a leader in
the mobile technology vehicle market, with a focus on the
laboratory market and homeland security. For more information on
PositiveID, please visit http://www.psidcorp.com, or connect with PositiveID
on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.
Statements about PositiveID's future expectations
constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the
Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to
change at any time, and PositiveID's actual results could differ
materially from expected results. These risks and uncertainties
include, without limitation, the Company's ability to raise
capital; as well as other risks. Additional
information about these and other factors that could affect the
Company's business is set forth in the Company's various filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those set
forth in the Company's 10-K filed on March 31, 2017, and 10-Qs
filed on November 13, 2017, August 14, 2017,
and May 15, 2017, under the caption "Risk Factors."
The Company undertakes no obligation to update or release any
revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or
circumstances after the date of this statement or to reflect the
occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by
law.
Contact:
PositiveID
Corporation
Allison Tomek
(561) 805-8044
atomek@psidcorp.com