Members of the Emergency Services Sector can acquire at no cost the "Chemical Companion," a software tool developed by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).

Designed to help first responders determine what chemical substances are present at an incident scene and understand the inherent risks to humans and the environment, the Chemical Companion operates on Windows CE-based personal digital assistants (PDAs). The software includes detailed information on 130 of the most common chemicals associated with HazMat incidents, with a minimum of 2000 additional chemicals to be added. A desktop version of the software is under development.

GTRI's software project was sponsored by the Technical Support Working Group, the U.S. national forum that identifies, prioritizes, and coordinates interagency and international research and development requirements for combating terrorism. Chemical Companion is intended to help responders make decisions about protective equipment, chemical reactivity, isolation and protective zones, and appropriate medical aid. At incidents where there are no shipping papers, signs, or containers as clues, unknown chemicals can be identified by entering details about a substance's odor, color, state, etc. Another option is to report medical symptoms displayed by victims.

By design, the system is easily updated and additional chemicals will continue to be added to it. A calculator to help determine "stay times" based on type of protective equipment being worn is included. The software's designers point out that being able to accurately project stay times saves lives and money (e.g., expensive, one-use-only suits), which are part of critical infrastructure protection according to the Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC).

The PDA version of Chemical Companion is scheduled to be available in July, and the desktop version in August. They will be available at the Technical Support Working Group's website at http://www.tswg.gov/tswg/home/home.htm and at a site to be set up by GTRI for distribution. For additional information, contact project co-director Dr. Christina Baxter at christina.baxter@gtri.gatech.edu.