MSA said yesterday it has received its largest order yet for the O'Hara company's system for detecting hazardous materials at mass transit facilities, stadiums and other large public venues.

Florida intends to use MSA's Safesite system at high-profile sporting and entertainment events held throughout the state as well as to better respond to hazardous materials spills. The order is valued at between $1 million and $2 million, MSA spokesman Mark Deasy said.

It comes after two years of testing Safesite at large public events, including the annual New Years Eve celebration at New York's Times Square, the Kentucky Derby, the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece and the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

While the order is small in comparison with MSA's 2004 revenue of $852.5 million, company officials are hoping other states will follow suit.

"We're talking to emergency response organizations all the time," Mr. Deasy said.

Systems have also been sold to fire departments in Bucks County, Boston, Baltimore and Nashua, N.H., he said.

Safesite detects the presence of up to six potential hazards, then communicates information about the threat to a command center where decisions are made about how to respond. The threats include chemical warfare agents, radiation and toxic industrial chemicals.

Mr. Deasy said the trials were used to demonstrate the technology's capabilities as well as to improve the product. Testing the system at Times Square proved the wireless system could operate despite interference from other wireless devices "because on New Years Eve you've got a million cell phones all going off at once," he said.

Florida evaluated the technology for a year before placing the order. MSA's technology will be deployed in about 30 counties, including Miami-Dade, Orlando and other major metropolitan areas, state officials said.