Grant Program Delivers Personal Radiation Detectors to DFS Hazmat Technicians
STOW, Mass.—The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced that 200 State Hazmat technicians are being outfitted with personal radiation detectors (PRDs) through a federal grant program, providing advance warning for personnel who might be entering a hazardous environment and alerting them to radioactive threats.
"Massachusetts Hazmat technicians are our first line of defense against chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive hazards," said Public Safety & Security Secretary Gina K. Kwon. "Making this powerful tool available to so many techs is going to help protect them and our residents from hazards that are unseen but deadly serious."
The delivery of 200 PRDs and 14 larger, more sensitive meters was funded through a federal Securing the Cities (STC) grant, which is issued by the Department of Homeland Security – Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office. The grant is administered at the state level by the Boston Police Department, which serves as the regional coordinator and fiduciary agent for the grant program.
"Metering for radiation is one of the first steps that our Hazmat techs take at any scene, even when radiation isn’t the primary known hazard," State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine said. "Radioactive substances may not be detected by the first responding fire personnel. They could be present in medical equipment, laboratory environments, or the workshop of someone attempting to make a weapon. Knowing the nature and severity of the threat is vital to making informed decisions on personal protection and public safety."
STC-Boston provides local officials with tools and training to detect nuclear or radiological materials in order to prevent terrorist attacks and related incidents. Deploying PRDs to 200 Massachusetts Hazmat techs will help to identify unregulated radiological materials, including those intended for use in a weapon or "orphan source" radioactive materials that had been lost, stolen, abandoned, or misplaced.
One such scenario unfolded in Lexington earlier this year, when local firefighters were called to the home of a deceased chemist who left behind a large collection of chemicals. When firefighters contacted the Department of Fire Services’ Hazmat Division for assistance, state Hazmat techs metered the area and quickly located radioactive substances that required special handling and disposal.
"Our Hazmat techs train regularly on PRDs and they’re already familiar with the devices’ operation," said State Fire Marshal Davine. "Because these personnel are drawn from local fire departments across Massachusetts, this deployment will ensure that radiation detection capabilities are available anywhere in the state, any time of the day or night. This is a massive upgrade for the Commonwealth’s threat detection infrastructure."
