Scientific Support Service

Tender description

24 Hour Telephone support inclusive of “Hazmat Helpdesk” providing hazardous material information support • 150 hours of scientific support in Merseyside & Cheshire including: o Site based support at incidents involving hazardous materials o Advice at incidents involving ionising radiation (via A Radiation Protection Advisor)) o Participation of staff in fire service exercises o Preparation of information for use by Cheshire and Merseyside fire services during exercises (such as provision of plume models) • Provision of services during site response can include: - o Testing of unknown materials using a range of electronic and wet chemistry testing o Provision of sample collection equipment suitable to collect solid, liquid and gaseous samples including from drums and containers o Monitoring of air contamination parameters using real time measurement systems o Provision of computer-based plume models o Screening tests for Anthrax and Ricin using antibody-based test kits o Attendance at Strategic Coordinating Group and/or STAC • Incident call out attendance would usually be within a maximum of 2 hours from call out involving one or two call out scientists. Call out time will be recorded per hour from departure to incident through to time of return from incident. • Deployment of onsite testing equipment as mobile test kits or as mobile laboratory as circumstances require (mobile laboratory subject to availability). • All ‘on-site’ chemical analysis and monitoring utilising defined scientific support equipment (the basic equipment list is set out in table 2) • All travel associated with scientific support functions provided within the contract scope inside Cheshire & Merseyside • Support for DIM deployment including: - o Preparation and deployment of the DIM equipment o Advice and support on sampling and testing o Assessment of data files and supporting information • 45 Hours of training support to hazmat officers and other Service personnel associated with essential hazmat, CBR and DIM issues, (including for chemical. biological or radiological hazards) taken from the ‘standard’ list of available training modules. • Radiation Protection Advisor (RPA) services of scope as detailed in Table 3 below • Reasonable time in liaison with Merseyside & Cheshire Services in administration of the contract, attendance at meetings, scientific & technical representation etc • Reasonable maintenance & calibration of any chemical monitoring instrumentation and scientific equipment held for use & deployment. 50 • Provision of ‘standard’ personal protective equipment for scientific support staff inclusive of coveralls, protective gloves, protective boots, bump hat and respiratory protection • Capability to safely collect & dispose of small mercury spillage’s