FSNI - Supply, Delivery. Installation, Commissioning and Maintenance of a Humidity Cabinet (retender)

Tender description

Forensic Science Northern Ireland (FSNI) is seeking to establish a contract for supply and maintenance of a Humidity Cabinet for use within the Specialised Fingerprint Unit (SFU). The Humidity Cabinet will be required to enhance the process for the recovery of finger print and footwear marks. Forensic Science Northern Ireland (FSNI) is an Executive Agency within the Department of Justice (DOJ) and currently employs approximately 200 staff, providing a wide range of scientific services and expertise to assist in the investigation of crime and the presentation of scientific evidence in court. The Agency is an operationally independent organisation providing service to its main customers, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, the NI State Pathologist as well as a number of other customers in NI and further afield. The Agency provides a full range of forensic services through its operational casework sections, each of which consists of a number of teams (including SFU) which focus on a particular forensic science discipline. FSNI enjoys an international reputation for its breadth of expertise and experience. FSNI’s primary purpose is the provision of scientific advice to support the delivery of justice. The Agency has experienced an increase red zone cases and to prevent cross contamination a new Humidity Oven suitable to process fingerprint treatments on larger items is required. Fingerprint enhancement requires the sequential use of a number of wet chemicals which are then examined using multiple light sources. Ninhydrin / Indanedione are treatments regularly used for the recovery of fingerprints and footwear marks on porous surfaces. The Humidity Cabinet will be used to shorten the chemical processing time which FSNI carry out in compliance with the Home Office Fingerprint Visualisation Manual.