Originally Posted by
RatherBeOnATrain
Here is a
very interesting solicitation posted on FedBizOpps:
FedBizOpps:
Rapid Improvement of Existing Handheld Technologies for AIT Anomaly Resolution
Here's a cut-and-paste of the Synopsis:
.....Current resolution of anomalies presented on the AIT is limited to directed, and sometimes sensitive, area pat downs. This initiative is focused on reducing the number of passenger pat downs required to resolve AIT anomalies. This capability shall be implemented as a handheld AIT anomaly resolution tool....
From the linked-to docs:
this is not good:
It is expected that advanced handheld screening systems could incorporate one or more orthogonal technologies to detect threat objects such as bulk explosives, metal threat objects and/or non-metal threat objects. Materials of interest detected by the AIT resolution tool may include but are not limited to: military and conventional explosives, homemade explosives, nitrates, chlorates and hydrogen peroxide. Preferably, the device will detect a broad range of formulations such as fuel/oxidizer mixtures, particulates, vapors, liquids, and precursor compounds,
but this is better:
Detection of person-borne improvised explosives devices should include devices using any explosive including military, commercial, and homemade explosive (HME) substances, yet provide acceptable false alarm rates.
I believe they learned something...
what they DON'T want (no mo' swabs):
Use of a swab or preconcentration cartridge which must be analyzed in a separate step should be avoided.
So, they want to avoid touching your crotch, which is good, and use a sniffer instead, which could be bad unless false alarms are kept to "acceptable levels". The key will be, what is acceptable? Right now, false alarms are running at 100% for ETD swabs.