AST 2018 CHAMPIONS EDITION AST 2018 CHAMPIONS EDITION

Deciding what tools to arm yourself with can Volume 30 seem complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. 2018 CHAMPIONS Edition TYPES OF HANDHELD INSTRUMENTS There are several types of handheld radiation detection instruments that can be considered, including: • Personal Survey Meter/Personal Radia- tion Detector (PSM/PRD) – The most widely deployed type of radiation detector, PRDs are belt-worn devices that form the frontline for threat interdiction, offering first responders, or security personnel, the knowledge they need of their surroundings to ensure their personal protection. However, they require the support of more capable instruments once the initial detection has been made. Additional tools are needed to perform identification once the ini- tial detection has been made. • Spectroscopic Personal Radiation Detector (SPRD) – can be belt-worn or vehicle-mount- ed to function as a PRD. Additionally, they pro- vide real-time spectroscopic capability for monitoring gamma and/ or neutron activity, per- forming isotope identifi- cation, enhancing on-scene information, and safer de- cision-making on-scene during a radiological event. • Radionuclide Identifica- tion Device (RID) – hand- held devices that are most often used on the front line or for secondary verifica- There’s a reason FLIR offers more than one instrument in a given classification - one size does not fit all scenarios. Different types and sizes of detectors complement one another during a radiological event and provide a greater level of safety. tion on-scene. RIDs are generally more sen- sitive than PSM/PRDs and SPRDs due to their use of crystalline scintillation or semiconduc- tor detector materials. They are considered the best all-purpose survey tool for gamma and/or neutron radiation, and they generate the spectroscopic info needed to identify specific nuclides. (FLIR identiFINDER R200 with neutron capability is an important early warning sys- tem for responders, and a 2017 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award Winner.) 157

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