The primary objective of this project is to ensure the technical performance and radiation safety of national x-ray and gamma-ray security screening operations at all deployment sites. DHS' main customers are TSA, TSL, TSIF, FPS, DNDO and CBP.

This work fills well-documented gaps in transport security highlighted in the administrative and legislative requirements for 100% inspection of luggage, cargo and air passengers. This is done through a series of new standards, test methods, test artifacts, dosimetry protocols and technical guidance documents, all supported by a metrology and computational modeling infrastructure.

Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are the method of choice for terrorists today, including the hundreds of people in the United States who have been indicted or convicted in terrorism cases since 9/11, due to their ease of assembly and leveraged sabotage. In response, governments have invested heavily in safety inspections of bulk explosives. The program helps ensure the quality and effectiveness of this investment by providing the standard guidance and measurement tools needed to measure the technical performance of these systems.

The goals of this project are:

[1] Develop national standards for image quality and radiation safety for checkpoints, cargo, vehicles, full-body x-ray and gamma-ray security equipment, and improve threat detection capabilities for homeland security applications,

[2] Develop relevant testing and evaluation protocols,

[3] Validate and revise these national standards based on enhanced technical countermeasures, consolidation patterns, emerging threats, and feedback from field usage/testing and evaluation,

[4] To provide the basis for uniform and informed guidance on technical grants and procurement across DHS agencies,

[5] Harmonizing national standards with conflicting or inadequate international standards affecting our homeland, and

[6] Enable adoption and use of this project deliverable by key government stakeholders and industry partners.