Morphix Technologies has released a seven minute training video which gives some simple statistics and dangers about Meth Labs. The video also addresses Morphix’s Chameleon Chemical Detector, one of their products for detecting hazardous chemicals by first responders. I got my hands on a Chameleon kit for testing in October.
The Morphix Chameleon is a chemical detection unit that is worn on the forearm or attached by Velcro to the uniform of a first responder. The purpose of the kit is to provide an officer, firefighter, or soldier with immediate visual identification of the presence of hazardous gases.
A passive detector, the Chameleon has ten windows, called cassettes, which change color when exposed to certain chemicals. The Chameleon can be configured for Clan-Meth Lab, Chemical Suicide, or Haz-Mat detection by simply changing the cassettes.
The kit is easy for an operator to use. Once strapped on, the officer needs only to glance at it to be alerted. The cassette windows start out a single color. If a cassette changes to two colors, it has been exposed to the toxic chemical. No power source is required. The cassettes have chemically reactive strips inside that remind me of “litmus paper” from junior high school Chemistry.
I found the Chameleon to be very unobtrusive. The face of the kit measures 3 7/8” X 2 ¾.” The entire armband weighs less than two ounces. The strap is adjustable up to 14” in circumference. A larger 18” armband is available.
The cassettes for each different type of hazard are individually pre-packaged, so the user just inserts all the cassettes in the armband and he or she is ready to go. Initially enclosed in foil, the cassettes are loaded just prior to deployment.
Once opened, the cassettes have a 24-hour service life. They also remain viable after salt or Continue reading
entry, fields of fire, and threat identification. In some FPS’s you can dial down the number of adversaries to make it more like a building search, rather than a straight-up firefight.
