ORONO – Sensor Research and Development Corp. is getting a $3.65 million contract award from the Department of Homeland Security’s Chem-Bio Research and Development Division for a Lightweight Autonomous Chemical Identification System, or LACIS, the company announced.

The LACIS system is being developed for use by first responders and hazardous materials personnel as a part of the federal government’s program to strengthen the capabilities of local governments to respond to terrorist incidents within the United States.

The contract award will allow SRD to develop working prototypes of hand-held chemical detection devices capable of rapidly detecting and identifying low levels of chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals in complex background environments, the company said.

The 22-month project will require delivery of multiple handheld prototype analyzers that will be independently tested and evaluated by both a DHS laboratory as well as first responders throughout the country. In the final phase of the contract, SRD said it will deliver fully validated sensor systems ready for moving to the manufacturing and production stage.