The U.S. government is seeking information about eyewear that can defend against laser pointer attacks during civil unrest, protests and other types of mass gatherings.
A market survey will look at glasses, goggles, face shields and protective films that block multiple spectrums of laser light in the green, blue, violet, red and/or near-infrared spectrums.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate released a request for information on “multi-spectrum laser protective eyewear that meets the needs of law enforcement and emergency response agencies.”
“Laser protective eyewear can be just as important as body armor and other types of protective gear worn by frontline emergency responders,” engineer Rob Casparro, of the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory. “Powerful laser pointers have the potential to pose serious threats to law enforcement and security personnel. They can obstruct their line of sight and cause temporary or permanent vision loss.”
The technologies will be included in a market survey conducted by the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory. Interested industry partners have until 5 p.m. EDT on Sept. 10 to submit their products for inclusion.
Once completed, the market survey report will be posted to the SAVER Document Library where the findings can be accessed by state, local, tribal and federal response agencies making procurement decisions about this type of technology.