DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Feb. 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PositiveID Corporation (“PositiveID” or “Company”) (OTC:PSID), a life sciences company focused on detection and diagnostics, and its ExcitePCR subsidiary announced today that its Chief Science Officer, Dr. Kimothy Smith, has co-authored a report for the National Security Forum on the Need for the Department of Homeland Security’s National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC). The NBIC is the primary entity responsible for sharing information across the federal government on bio-threats for rapid and effective response to help ensure the safety of U.S. citizens.
The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC) was created in the wake of the 2001 Amerithrax/anthrax attacks, 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and global infectious diseases. NBIC’s mission is to share information on biothreats to enable federal, state, and local agencies to respond to bioterrorism events quickly and effectively. The future of the NBIC is now uncertain, while bioterrorism attacks in the United States remain a real threat.
The report, also co-authored by James M Wilson V, MD FAAP, outlines the need for an appropriate system of assessing risk and communicating that risk in a well-considered, balanced manner without the need to generate hype. That hype can result in unbalanced threat assessments and highly reactive responses, which end up harming local responders and citizens.
The report states, “We are concerned to hear recently that NBIC is being considered for programmatic cancellation by the newly formed Combatting Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate of DHS. We are even more concerned given we have, for several years now beginning with the Obama Administration, witnessed a dramatic scaling back of biointelligence assets and capabilities that leave our nation without the technical advantage we once had. We estimate we are now 20 years behind where we were at the start of the first term of Obama’s presidency. At worse, we have provided (and continue to provide) robust demonstration to our adversaries that we are unorganized, undecided, and woefully ill-prepared.”
The report suggests that all prior Directors and Chiefs of Operations of NBIC should convene a transparent public hearing on NBIC before Congress, where they present their perspectives regarding the challenges and most importantly, potential solutions that will truly enable a full realization of the mission they envisioned for NBIC and the U.S.
About the Authors
Prior to moving to the private sector in 2008, Dr. Smith was the Senior Advisor for International Biodefense for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Health Affairs. While in this position he served as a detailee to the Office of International Health & Biodefense of the U.S. State Department. In his tenure at State, Dr. Smith served as a subject matter expert working with international partners to promote coordinated biodefense and emergency response strategies and to open dialogues on food and agricultural security and safety. Dr. Smith’s responsibilities at DHS included serving as the Acting Director of the National Biosurveillance Integration Center and in 2005, Dr. Smith was named as the first Chief Veterinarian for DHS and Chief Scientist for the Office of Health Affairs.
Dr. Wilson was the first operations chief of the Department of Homeland Security’s National Biosurveillance Integration Center and worked with the Intelligence Community during the birth of formal health security intelligence in the mid-2000s. Dr. Wilson led the private intelligence teams that provided warning of the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, discovery of the United Nations as the source of the 2010 cholera disaster in Haiti, and several investigations of alleged and confirmed biological weapon deployments. He is currently the Director of the Nevada Medical Intelligence Center in the School of Community Health Sciences and a practicing pediatrician in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Nevada, Reno.
About PositiveID Corporation
PositiveID Corporation is a life sciences tools and diagnostics company with an extensive patent portfolio. PositiveID develops biological detection and diagnostics systems, specializing in the development of microfluidic systems for the automated preparation of and performance of biological assays. PositiveID is also a leader in the mobile technology vehicle market, with a focus on the laboratory market and homeland security. For more information on PositiveID, please visit http://www.psidcorp.com, or connect with PositiveID on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.
Statements about PositiveID's future expectations constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, and PositiveID's actual results could differ materially from expected results. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the Company’s ability to raise capital; as well as other risks. Additional information about these and other factors that could affect the Company's business is set forth in the Company's various filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those set forth in the Company's 10-K filed on March 31, 2017, and 10-Qs filed on November 13, 2017, August 14, 2017, and May 15, 2017, under the caption "Risk Factors." The Company undertakes no obligation to update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this statement or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.