The Nonproliferation and Homeland Security Field Support group focuses on the development and testing of radiation detectors for nonproliferation, treaty verification and homeland security applications.
The group tests and evaluates commercial as well as laboratory prototype radiation detectors at the BNL Radiation Detector Test and Evaluation Center (RADTEC) under funding from the Department of Homeland Security.
The group also provides BNL staff to the Radiological Assistance Program (RAP) of DOE/NNSA. RAP supports and provides assistance, upon request, to other countries, Federal agencies, state, tribal and local governments, and to private groups or individuals for incidents/accidents involving radiological materials. Members of the BNL RAP team recently supported the response to the Fukushima nuclear reactor accident in Japan.
Working with the Radiological Control Division, staff provides assistance through a fully functional Instrumentation & Calibration facility and expertise in radiological engineering.
The group recently helped prepare and conduct a major radiological incident exercise for NYC and the surrounding three-state region of Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. This weeklong “Securing the Cities Initiative” (STC) exercise was sponsored by the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) in the Department of Homeland Security, the New York City Police Department, a dozen of its principal STC partners and 150 regional law enforcement agencies, emergency management and public safety offices. It was the largest full-scale radiological exercise ever held in the tri-state region.