The VIGILAIR® Biodefense System is now ‘Designated’ as a Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology (QATT) by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

What is QATT ‘Designation’?

SAFETY Act Designation means that liability protections exist for re-sellers and end users of VIGILAIR® Biodefense Systems in the event of a terrorist attack.

How does ‘Designation’ protect VIGILAIR® Biodefense Customers?

Designation means that VIGILAIR Systems, Inc. is the sole party liable for damages following a terror act.  This protection is granted as an incentive for users who adopt critical infrastructure technology. 

Here’s how the DHS describes Designation:

“When a technology is designated as a Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology (QATT), the Seller of the QATT is granted limited liability for all claims arising out of the deployment of the QATT with respect to an “act of terrorism”… the Seller becomes the sole entity that can be sued for third party injuries, effectively protecting all other companies and persons in the manufacturing and distribution chains from liability.”

How does ‘Designation’ protect VIGILAIR®?

Designation sets pre-determined insurance liability limits for QATT manufacturers such as VIGILAIR Systems, Inc.  In the event that claims arise from a terrorism attack, QATT manufacturers are only liable for the predetermined value even if claims exceed the limit.  This means that VIGILAIR Systems will not be under insured in the wake of a terror attack.  Other protections include:

• Exclusive jurisdiction in federal courts for suits, rather than in state courts where such claims are typically addressed.
• Complete prohibition against recovery of any punitive damages, which are intended to punish or deter.
• ·A prohibition on non-economic damages unless the plaintiff suffered physical harm.

What is the SAFETY Act?

In the wake of terrorist attacks on US soil, the Congress looked for ways to increase the deployment of security technologies in the private sector.  Policy makers determined that uncertainty surrounding liability questions were a significant impediment to the implementation of life saving security technology.  The Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies (SAFETY) Act was enacted in 2002 to answer some of those liability questions.

How did the VIGILAIR® Biodefense System receive SAFETY Act Designation?

The Department of Homeland Security accepts applications for designation from any interested company or corporation.   The DHS assembles experts from industry, academia and research institutions to assess each application and to make recommendations to the Under Secretary for Science and Technology.  After reviewing the technical panel’s recommendations, the Under Secretary approved VIGILAIR® as a Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology.

Where can I find more Information on the SAFETY Act?

US Department of Homeland Security

Click here for the official text of the law as written and passed by the US Congress.