Emergency Response
The Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services (DCLS) provides emergency laboratory support to numerous local, state and federal agencies responding to criminal acts or events that threaten our health, agriculture and environment. A few examples of emergencies, natural or manmade disasters, that DCLS is asked to respond to each year include; infectious disease outbreaks in humans and animals, accidental and intentional poisonings, over-the-counter drug tampering, foodborne disease outbreaks, chemical spills, radiation exposure, fires that threaten air quality, flood and hurricane threatened water and food supplies, and unexplained animal and human deaths.
As the state laboratory, DCLS is also responsible for ensuring effective laboratory response in the defense of our Commonwealth against terrorism. We were one of the first state laboratories in the United States selected to provide laboratory support to the CDC for testing nerve agents, mustards and other chemical agents in biological specimens. DCLS was also selected as one of a few laboratories to implement and validate novel DNA-based diagnostic tests, such as real-time PCR, for the rapid identification of highly infectious biological agents. DCLS is a member of the Laboratory Response Network (LRN) and the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN). We maintain a vast array of technologies and, since September 11, 2001, have used these to test tens of thousands of clinical and environmental samples suspected as being contaminated with biological or chemical agents.
Links:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Environmental Protection Agency
United States Department of Agriculture
The Laboratory Response Network