Corbin police unveil new portable radiation detectors

Members of the Corbin Police Department got a chance last week to train with two new portable radiation detection units, fruits of a $91,000 grant from the federal Department of Homeland Security.
The Guardian PRST units – bulky, 25-lbs. boxes each contained within a black backpack – will be kept by Task Force 11, a hazardous materials team that serves eight counties, including Whitley County. Ric Cawood, Deputy Director of the Laurel County Division for Public Safety and a captain on the research team for Task Force 11, said the devices could be invaluable in circumstances involving a potential radiological situation.
“They are very sensitive,” he said. “I’ve been told that these units are sensitive enough that if you were to have some type of radioactive treatment at a hospital, then leave the facility, up to seven days later we could detect that in your system at a considerable distance.”
The Guardian PRSTT units were developed and manufactured by Nucsafe, a company that specializes in radiological detection equipment. They are the smaller, more portable relatives of larger fixed units being installed in weigh stations, ports and other high traffic areas. The company has a facility in Corbin.
Ric Cass, Program Manager for Nucsafe, said The Guardian actually contains technology able to differentiate between medical isotopes, background radiation, and other factors that could foul up accurate detection.
“We call those nuisance alarms,” Cass said. “These units are in demand all over the world. We can’t really talk about who’s getting them or how many there are, but there’s quite a few.”
Cass said governments are the largest purchasers of radiation detection equipment.
The Guardian PRSTs contain what are called “neutron sensitive glass scintillating fibers” that are key to detection. Cass said the units also contain unique electronics and algorithms developed by Nucsafe.
The Guardian PRSTs Task Force 11 received are Version 2. Cass said a newer version is now in production.
The units detect radiation simply by being near it. The operator has a handheld PDA, encased in a rugged plastic shell, to monitor readings.
In the past, company officials have said the units can be calibrated to detect illegal drugs, but that such use was still in the experimental stages. Cass would not comment on that application for the device.
Corbin Police Chief Carson Mullins said he was pleased with results of the grant and thankful that radiation detection technology is so readily available near home.
“For us to be able to have this capability without calling Atlanta, Georgia or Washington, DC or somebody like that is very fortunate,” Mullins said. “I give tremendous credit to the task force and all these guys who are willing members of it.”