Newly adopted Department of Homeland Security (DHS) standards for first-responder equipment and radiation detectors provide state and local governments with guidelines to ensure that they purchase the best available gear for public safety and counter-terrorism personnel.

A set of eight standards provides performance requirements for respirators and other personal protective equipment for first responders. A second set of four standards will ensure that detectors ranging from handheld alarming devices to shipping-container sized monitors will accurately determine levels of radiation.

DHS is working with the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Office of Law Enforcement Standards to develop specifications for garments and other gear that protect against chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive hazards.

For more information visit www.nist.gov/public_affairs/factsheet/radiation_detector_standards.htm.