The Homeland Security Bureau of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office will soon have sophisticated equipment to detect dangerous chemicals should they be accidentally released from an industry in Memphis and Shelby County or from a terrorist attack.

“The Sheriff’s Office will be the only agency in the state of Tennessee to have this sophisticated monitoring equipment. We must constantly be looking at new ways to keep our community safe not only from terrorist attacks but from other events. Chemical emergencies could threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of citizens in Shelby County,” said Shelby County Sheriff Mark H. Luttrell, Jr.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Homeland Security Bureau is responsible for the safety of all Shelby County buildings including the Criminal Justice Center and the Shelby County Court House downtown. Additionally, Deputies assigned to the Sheriff’s Office Homeland Security Bureau have specialized training in hazardous chemicals. The Deputies work jointly with various emergency agencies in Shelby County.

A Regional Technology Study was conducted by the United States Department of Homeland Security in 2005 which indicated Memphis and Shelby County needed chemical sensing equipment due to the many refineries and manufacturing plants.

The study also noted the large number of community festivals and sporting events in Shelby County that routinely attract thousands of people.

Homeland Security Deputies will set up the sensing devices at community festivals such as the Memphis in May festivities and races at the Memphis International Motorsports Park in North Shelby County, which is located next door to a chemical company.

Should chemicals be released into the air, the monitoring equipment would detect the type of chemical, give the speed and direction of the wind, and even provide guidance for an evacuation. Included with the sensing devices are detailed computer files about residential neighborhoods and business districts and their proximity to chemical companies.

This coming Monday, February 26, Sheriff’s Office Homeland Security Bureau Captain Dale Lane and Lieutenant Perry McEwen will travel to Knoxville, Tennessee to see the equipment demonstrated by Cadre5, a company that has jointly developed this technology through a partnership with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. “We are providing Shelby County with a versatile system they can use to protect the general public at special events. This system can also be used to support any other special operations they might have,” said Kelly Falter, SNAPS II Project Manager.

"This project shows how local government, industry and Oak Ridge National Laboratory can partner to implement countywide systems that detect threats and save lives, whether from a terrorist attack, an accidental chemical spill, or other emergency situation," said Frank DeNap, who heads the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Sensornet program. "Shelby is the state's first county to enable a system like this and we are extremely pleased to contribute to this initiative," added DeNap.

The equipment will be ready for use by the Sheriff’s Office within a few weeks. “We must continually anticipate possible dangers and be ready with a plan of action to keep the public safe,” added Sheriff Luttrell.