--Protective Glove and Footwear product data request.

The Department of Defense Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Massachusetts, is seeking information from manufacturers of commercial or production-ready chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) protective gloves and footwear. The goal is to identify existing products, preferably commercial off-the-shelf items, suitable for use by federal emergency first responders such as the National Guard, U.S. Army Reserves, and the Chemical Biological Incident Response Force. The government intends to review submitted product information to determine which manufacturers may be invited to participate in further government-based evaluations, though there is no guarantee of contract award or payment for the information submitted. Interested parties must submit detailed written information within 45 days of the announcement to Battelle Eastern Science & Technology Center in Aberdeen, Maryland, including specifics such as product name, model number, cost, and contact details. The contract request, posted in December 2004 by the Department of Defense office in Natick, emphasizes that this is a data-gathering effort to explore available protective equipment for emergency response usage rather than a solicitation for immediate procurement. This action supports the enhancement of protective gear readiness for CBRN incidents among federal first responder forces.