TSA to award maintenance contract for Itemisers to Morpho Detection

Morpho Detection's Itemiser DX

TSA is planning to award a sole source contract to Morpho Detection, Inc., of Wilmington, MA, to provide maintenance services and supplies for more than 2,000 of its Itemiser DX electronic trace detectors (ETDs), which have been deployed at airports across the U.S.

Morpho Detection said last June that TSA had ordered more than 2,800 Itemiser DX units with a total contract value of more than $83 million.

The agency said on Jan. 5, in a presolicitation notice it posted online, that it intends to contract “using other than full and open competition” these maintenance services to Morpho Detection, the detection business within Morpho, which is itself a part of Safran.

In its description of its Itemiser ETD, Morpho Detection lists the following maintenance-related benefits:

• Patented regenerative dryer eliminates the need for monthly dryer material replacements, and reduces maintenance downtime and consumables costs;
• Optional maintenance reminders for all preventive requirements;
• Advanced diagnostics to ensure maximum availability and performance.

On June 21, 2011, Morpho Detection announced that, in addition to TSA, the Itemiser has been approved by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, the Italian Department of Transport, the UK Department of Transport and the UK Home Office Scientific Development Branch.

Further information about the forthcoming maintenance award from TSA is available from Bonnie Evangelista, a contract specialist, at 571-227-1655 or bonnie.evangelista1@dhs.gov.