ATLANTA, GA. --- October 9, 2002 --- In the wake of the anthrax incidents that followed the September 11^th terrorist attacks, Building Owners and Managers have been faced with a new series of complex problems – from improving the security of buildings to developing protocols for protecting buildings against bioterrorist attacks and other extreme incidents.

Henry Healey, President of Healey & Associates a Merritt Island, Florida Engineering Firm, presented today, at the World Energy and Engineering Conference, a strategy that can be implemented economically by building owners and managers to help protect a building’s occupants and its air quality against Biological, Chemical or Radiological threats or other extreme incidents that are a real concern today.

The firm is assisting Governmental agencies in developing Safety Programs, ventilation system improvements, and engineering controls designed to protect the air quality in buildings. These improvements developed in conjunction with appropriate safety programs, operation and maintenance (O&M) policies and procedures can be very effective in reducing the threat from airborne contaminants and biohazardous materials such as anthrax

"We are working with Governmental and Facility Management groups, Safety Councils and others to get the word out on appropriate proactive and response actions for building owners and managers to remove or at least significantly reduce the ‘terror’ component of bioterrorism through knowledge and proper safety procedures," Healey said. "We believe that, if a facility implements a few cost effective air quality protection improvements (engineering controls) and provides occupants the training necessary to ensure appropriate response actions can readily be taken in the event of an incident, we will reduce the risk associated with any hazard, accident or toxic release."

Healey and Associates recently developed a training program for building owners and managers in protection of building air quality, has been conducting vulnerability assessments of building ventilation systems. "The combination of Safety Training and Engineering Controls goes a long way toward taking the ‘Terror’ out of bioterrorism or other such extreme incidents." Healey said. "Having been involved in an anthrax incident at a government facility makes one only too well aware of the concern of the occupants and their need for training to help them deal with the situation", he added.