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ENSCO, Inc. and Sandia Announced Today that SENTRY™ is Operational

Springfield, Va., August 31, 2004 – ENSCO, Inc., a diversified research, development and information technology company, and Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia), announced today that the SENTRY™ chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) Early Warning and Decision Support System is now operational on SNL's Security Evaluation Network (SEN) in Albuquerque, N.M. The SEN, implemented across Sandia’s facilities on Kirtland AFB, consists of numerous security products networked on a shared infrastructure for performance and interoperability evaluations.

The SENTRY installation is part of Sandia’s objective of developing weapons of mass destruction sensor integration and information management architecture for sensor data collection; decision support and alerting systems; and consequence management tools and procedures. Sandia is undertaking this effort to evaluate and further develop chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) protection systems for the Department of Defense. In return, ENSCO’s SENTRY system will be discussed and demonstrated for military and industry personnel at the operational Sandia location. The installation will provide additional visibility with the various stakeholders involved in military installation CBRN protection, as well as the broader force protection and Homeland Security community.

Fundamentally, SENTRY’s patented data integration methodology bridges the gap between sensor data and actionable information by automating sensor alarms and presenting the user relevant information through an understandable user interface. Using all available sensor evidence, SENTRY provides operators with a rapid interpretation of an incident. This comprehensive use of data exploits the synergistic response from multiple sensors, more accurately and reliably projecting CBRN situation awareness, and increases detection confidence with reduced system-level false alarms.

SENTRY automatically executes dispersion and predictive source-term models, based on current local meteorological conditions, giving the operator an instantaneous view of the situation, in addition to providing decision aides and response mechanisms that are consistent with installation operational policies and procedures. These mechanisms include sounding alarms and notifications, communicating evacuation plans, locking down the facility, and initiating collective protection strategies to minimize the time between sensor detection and response, thus saving lives.

SENTRY is currently in operation at several U.S. Government facilities concerned with CBRN threats. “What distinguishes SENTRY in the security marketplace is that we are communicating directly to the sensors—doing the sensor integration, event characterization, and assisting the operator in response,” said Steve Streetman, SENTRY project manager for ENSCO. “That is the piece that other emergency response systems are missing.

About ENSCO, Inc.

ENSCO, Inc. provides engineering, science and advanced technology solutions for the defense, security, transportation, environment, aerospace and intelligent automation industries. Founded in 1969, ENSCO is a $100 million, 800-person privately-owned corporation. Headquartered in Falls Church, Va., ENSCO has major offices in Springfield, Va., Endicott, N.Y., Melbourne and Cocoa Beach, Fla., and field offices around the United States and in Beijing, China.
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About Sandia National Laboratories

Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin company, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. Sandia has major R&D responsibilities in national security, energy and environmental technologies, and economic competitiveness. For additional information, visit Sandia’s Web site at www.sandia.gov.