Nuclear security

DHS Works To Ensure Communities Have Technologies For Disaster Response

Radiological incidents such as Chernobyl and Fukushima illustrate the need for firefighters to have a decontaminating foam to spray in coordination of federal, state, and local agencies in response efforts.

To that end and s part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), earlier this year they demonstrated new technology developments at the Columbus, Ohio, Battelle Memorial Institute facility that “will enable more effective radiological decontamination.”

This demonstration was made possible through a partnership between NUSTL and EPA to research methods, best practices and technologies for containing contamination and mitigating the hazard of radiation.

“It is vital for first responder agencies to understand the cleanup options available for events of all sizes,” explained NUSTL Radiological/Nuclear Response and Recovery (RNRR) Division Director Ben Stevenson. “When supporting local agencies and first responders for radiological response and recovery, it is important that S&T provide them with good scientific guidance and technology, but equally important that we connect them to experts and specialized federal assets that can support their operations and decision-making during an emergency.”