The GRaDER SM Program for Evaluating Radiation Detection Systems for Homeland Security

1. October 21, 2009 Standards and their Private Sector Application The GRaDERSM Program for Evaluating Radiation Detection Systems for Homeland Security Caroline Purdy, PhD, (DNDO) Charles Sleeper (DNDO) • Website: http://www.dhs.gov/GRaDER • Email: • GRaDER.Questions@hq.dhs.gov • GRaDER.Comments@hq.dhs.gov • GRaDER.Applications@hq.dhs.gov

2. DNDO Mission and Objectives Mission: To substantially reduce the risk of nuclear terrorism against the United States by continually improving capabilities to deter, detect, respond to, and attribute attacks, in coordination with domestic and international partners. • Develop the global nuclear detection and reporting architecture • Develop, acquire, and support the domestic nuclear detection and reporting system • Thoroughly characterize detector system performance before deployment • Establish situational awareness through information sharing and analysis • Establish operation protocols to ensure detection leads to effective response • Conduct a transformational research and development program • Maintain the National Technical Nuclear Forensics Center to provide centralized planning and integration of U.S. nuclear forensics programs

3. GRaDER Mission and Objectives • Mission • Identify radiation detection products that satisfy standards and Homeland Security mission requirements • Enable Federal, State, local, tribal and territorial agencies to make more informed radiological/nuclear detector procurement decisions • Objectives • Provide infrastructure for the collection of high integrity test data • National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) lab accreditation process • Identify instrument categories, applicable standards, reporting protocols and compliance levels • Become a self-sustaining program • Manufacturers pay for testing by accredited labs on their own schedule • Labs submit for and maintain accreditation • Standardize instrument testing and presentation of test results to assure valid comparisons and easily interpreted results • Develop Government post-market surveillance program to track products already evaluated under GRaDER program

4. $ GRaDER Evaluated Equipment List Use Established Compliance Levels DNDO Technical Review and Market Surveillance Support Rad/Nuc Detector Vendor Accredited Testing Labs* Results Design Test Standards Compliance Levels GRaDER Process and Phases Testing Evaluation Procurement Federal, State, local, tribal, territorial Agency Federal Acquisition Requirements and Grant Guidance * NVLAP Accreditation

5. GRaDER Compliance Levels • Level 0 – Equipment has not been tested; the test results are not available; or the test results do not meet the minimum subset of the standards as set forth below in each category. • Level 1 – Equipment meets DNDO-selected requirements of the ANSI standards • Level 2 – Equipment fully meets the ANSI standards. • Level 3 – Equipment meets Level 1 or Level 2 and also satisfies the requirements of the applicable published technical capability standards. Adjust compliance levels as technology evolves

6. GRaDER Equipment Categories • Category 1 - Alarming Personal Radiation Detectors (PRDs or “Pagers”) ANSI N42.32 • Category 2 - Survey Meters ANSI N42.33 • Category 3 – Radioactive Isotope Identification Devices (RIID’s) ANSI N42.32

7. GRaDER Equipment Categories • Category 4 - Radiation Portal Monitors (RPM’s) ANSI N42.35 • Category 5 - Spectroscopic Radiation Portal Monitors ANSI N42.38 • Category 6 - Mobile and Transportable Systems ANSI N42.43

8. Technical Capability Standards Overview • DNDO-led multi-agency effort separate from GRaDER Program • Legislatively mandated by SAFE Port Act of 2006 • “…DNDO in collaboration with NIST, shall publish technical capability standards and recommended standard operating procedures for the use of non-intrusive imaging and radiation detection equipment in the United States. Such standards and procedures-- • (1) should take into account relevant standards and procedures utilized by other Federal departments or agencies as well as those developed by international bodies; and • (2) shall not be designed so as to endorse specific companies or create sovereignty conflicts with participating countries.” • Go beyond and supplements ANSI standards and fill gaps • Focus on detection and identification of special nuclear materials and industrials • Supports Federal mission space

9. What GRaDER Program Does • Establishes a voluntary “fee-for-testing” program that enables manufacturers to set their own schedule to independently test detector performance against prescribed standards • Supports any lab that wishes to seek NVLAP accreditation • Accepts test results from NVLAP-accredited or DNDO-accepted labs • Evaluates results and assigns and reports compliance levels • Compiles a list of compliant detectors that is readily available to Federal agencies and to State, local and tribal agencies with permission of manufacturers • Provides test results and compliance levels which are used as criteria for Grants and federal procurements • Conducts post-market surveillance on previously tested and listed products; potential need to resolve issues and resubmit for test • Enables first responders and Law Enforcement agencies to benefit from better equipment and standardized performance results

10. What GRaDER Program Does Not Do • Recommend or require specific manufacturers or products • Endorse one accredited lab over any other accredited lab • Pay for product testing • Assign conformance levels based on manufacturer’s claims or warranties • Test instruments against actual rad/nuc threats • Guarantee product performance, acceptance, or selection • Satisfy all requirements for SAFETY Act certification • Develop standards • Develop federal procurement and grant program criteria • Guarantee permanent placement on any accepted products list

11. Future Activities • Add detector categories – Recent and Emerging Standards • N42.41 - Active Interrogation Systems • N42.44 - Checkpoint Cabinet X-Ray Imaging Security Systems • N42.46 - Imaging Performance of X-Ray and Gamma-Ray Systems for Cargo and Vehicle Security Screening • N42.48 - Spectroscopic Personal Radiation Detectors (SPRDs) • N42.49 A & B after publication - Personal Electronic Radiation Detectors • Adjust compliance levels as technology evolves • Add technical capability standards to the testing program (Level 3) • Publish and Update GRaDER Evaluated Equipment List • Implement Government post-market surveillance program • Finalize DHS grant language regarding GRaDER Program compliance • FY11 target date • New grant initiatives

12. Summary • DNDO has initiated an independent, self-sustaining, voluntary program to evaluate the performance of radiation detectors against accepted standards. • GRaDER will become part of the DHS grant process when sufficient radiation detectors have been tested. Target is FY2011. • More information about the program • http://www.dhs.gov/GRaDER • Exhibit Booth #915 • Questions, Comments, Applications • GRaDER.Questions@hq.dhs.gov • GRaDER.Comments@hq.dhs.gov • GRaDER.Applications@hq.dhs.gov • Homeland Security Information Network password protected GRaDERSM site will provide additional information exchange services for stakeholders