The Safety Equipment Institute (SEI) has announced that the first SEI certifications for chemical and biological terrorism suits have been issued to the following NFPA criteria: NFPA 1994, Protective Ensembles for Chemical or Biological Terrorism Incidents, 2001 Edition.

All independent testing for the SEI certification program of Chemical & Biological Protective Ensembles used in the fire and emergency services is conducted at SEI's contract testing laboratory, Intertek Testing Services (ITS), Cortland, N.Y.

NFPA 1994 is a standard that was released in August 2001 that sets performance requirements for protective clothing used at chemical and biological terrorism incidents. It is unique in that it defines three classes of ensembles based on the perceived threat at the emergency scene. Differences between the three classes are based on:

• The ability of the ensemble design to resist the inward leakage of chemical and biological contaminants.
• The resistance of the materials used in the construction of the ensembles to chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals.
• The strength and durability of these materials.

All NFPA 1994 ensembles are designed for a single exposure (use). Ensembles must consist of garments, gloves and footwear.

SEI has issued certifications for the following models:

NFPA 1994 2001 Edition - Class 1 Ensembles

DuPont Personal Protection Tychem Responder, Front Entry, Level A Garment with Attached Gloves

Tychem TK, Front Entry, Level A Garment with Attached Gloves

Tychem TK, Rear Entry, Level A Garment with Attached Gloves

Class 3 Ensembles -

DuPont Personal Protection Tychem CPF3, Coverall with Short Overhood and Boots 3T463

Tychem CPF3, Coverall with Long Overhood and Boots 3T464