MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — It’s all about one thing for Barry Gorski.

“When I joined the Marine corps back in 68, everybody goes, ‘What are you doing?’ ‘What do you mean, what am I doing, I’m going to try and help,’” he said.

And years later, that mindset has carried over into his scientific work at Trace Eye-D, a company that works out of Sarasota.

Initially, this company started in 2016 and began working on detecting explosives in different products, from powders to stuffed animals.

But when COVID-19 came around, the company decided to do what they call “the pivot” and put more attention on using a simple wipe to detect one of the most dangerous killers in our country.

“By taking a tablet,” Chris Braden, the president and CEO of Trace Eye-D, explained, “you can wipe it across the surface and instantly see that it’s fentanyl.”

Baden, Gorski and their team began testing different wipes that can detect chemical materials that are found in things like fentanyl, meth, and cocaine.

“The chemistry and engineering is not new but we’ve done something innovative,” Baden said.

By using what’s called color metrics, the wipe changes color when it meets a chemical that’s found in those drugs.

“It’s a single pouch presentation,” said Baden.

And that one pouch is making a big difference for many Florida law enforcement agencies.

According to Baden, several departments, including Palmetto Police, have used the wipes to see if they can detect fentanyl.

“It’s really focused more as a safety product,” Baden said.

Because when it comes down to it, that’s all that matters to them.

“If we can save a life,” said Gorski, “if we can get rid of some of this stuff or at least make people aware of what’s out there.”

Then they can protect as many lives as possible one swipe at a time.

Baden hopes to expand to other agencies across the country in the near future as well as get their product on store shelves for people to use.