[ RadSafe ] ANSI Standards for Portals, Meters and Dosimetry.

[Gaglierd, Tony]

Office of Domestic Preparedness (ODP) ANSI Standards for Portals, Meters and
Dosimetry.

Could someone enlighten me on this issue?

ODP issued a requirement that emergency responders could not purchase
Portals, Survey Meters, and Dosimetry with ODP money unless the equipment
met New ANSI Standards.

I understand none of the manufactures equipment passed the first round of
ANSI standard tests.

I as a Radiation Professional can purchase and have purchased equipment from
long standing reputable manufactures of instruments.

I have equipment in service now.

Dose this mean that the meters, Portals, etc I have are no good, not
accurate and the results I obtain are not correct and the decisions I make
based on these readings are incorrect and invalid.

What about all the rest of the HP, RAD Tec's, and Government people using
equipment?

When ANSI developed these standards did they talk to the people at FEMA who
ran the test facility in VA?

These folks were testing and researching equipment to survive and function
after a nuclear attack. I can't think of a responder or situation that could
put an instrument through a more rigorous test.

Regulators are telling emergency responder they can't use CD equipment.
That's fine with me but they cant purchase anything else.

When ODP dose one of there instrument courses they are showing and using
Ludlum 241-2 and 241-3 kits. Yet Emergency responders can buy them because
they don't pass ANSI Standards.

The report of the Findings of the first round of testing has not been made
available. How can any one intelligently evaluate the procedures used and
assess why an instrument failed.

Is it me or dose this all seem a little crazy?

The problem is not with the instruments It's with the responders who don't
know how to use them, cant read them properly can't process and interpret
the information and don't understand radiation.

Thank You

Tony Gaglierd RO, RI3
Assistant Professor NSET
Point Park University
Pittsburgh PA.

P.S. I also function as the Counties Radiological Officer in the office of
Emergency Services.