Following a successful limited characterization testing effort last December that involved potential users of new personal radiological devices, the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) is continuing to move forward with the Human Portable Tripwire (HPT) program, the agency says.
DNDO this month released a Request for Information (RFI) on human-portable spectroscopic radiological and nuclear detection and identification systems in support of the HPT, which is exploring using customized commercial-off-the-shelf devices to replace the existing Personal Radiation Detectors (PRDs) worn by users. The limited testing showed that the HPT systems performed as well or better than PRDs.
“Performance of the HPTs was equal to and/or better than the PRDS, and the feedback on HPTs relative to key suitability requirements was also positive,” DNDO says in the RFI. Suitability requirements include things like wearability, menus with terminology suitable to law enforcement operations, tailoring of command and alarm sequencing, one-handed operations, visual alarm indicators while the system is holstered, readable screens from handheld distances, and easily recognizable vibration alarms.
DNDO on April 10 will host a teleconference with interested vendors in the HPT program to discuss program requirements and plans moving forward.
Within the user community, Customs and Border Protection require a gamma-only HPT while the Coast Guard is seeking a gamma plus neutron device. The Coast Guard also has additional requirements such military standards for operations in salt air and foggy conditions and in temperatures ranging between negative 25 degrees and 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Upcoming HPT milestones include release of a Request for Proposal in September, evaluation of vendors’ responses in October and November—which will include operational capability demonstrations—and award of a contract to one vendor in Jan. 2014 for operational evaluation.