IEEE/ANSI N42.37-2016

Revision Standard - Active.

Training requirements for the radiological/nuclear detection mission are described.

This standard provides training requirements for four levels of training as part of the domestic capabilities of public safety agencies to detect, analyze, and report on nuclear and other radioactive materials that are out of regulatory control.

This standard describes training requirements applying to these training levels across the range of federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local governments, and the private sector conducting the preventive radiological/nuclear detection (RND) mission to reduce the risk of terrorists or covert state-sponsored attacks on the United States using radiological or nuclear weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).

Of the preparedness capabilities described in Presidential Policy Directive 8: National Preparedness (PPD-8), the scope of this standard includes the capabilities for Prevention and Protection mission areas, but not those for Mitigation, Response, and Recovery mission areas.

Within the Prevention and Protection mission area capabilities explained in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (USDHS) National Preparedness Goal, the scope includes core capability for Screening, Search, and Detection.

In particular, the scope of this standard describes requirements for training on the operation and deployment of the following radiation detection instrumentation as used in the RND mission:

• Alarming personal radiation detectors (PRDs), reference ANSI N42.321;
• Portable radiation detection instrumentation, reference ANSI N42.33;
• Handheld instruments for the detection and identification of radionuclides, i.e., radionuclide identifiers, radioisotope identification devices (RIIDs), references ANSI N42.34 and USDHS 500-DNDO-117250;
• Radiation portal monitors (RPMs) and spectroscopy-based portal monitors (SRPMs), references ANSI N42.35 and ANSI N42.38;
• Vehicle-mounted mobile systems and transportable radiation monitors, references ANSI N42.43 and USDHS 500-DNDO-119430;
• Spectroscopic personal radiation detectors (SPRDs), reference ANSI N42.48;
• Backpack-based radiation detection systems (BRDs) and human-portable detectors (HPDs), references ANSI N42.53 and USDHS 500-DNDO-119420.

Training scope includes safety-related instruments used by RND personnel, such as:

• Alarming electronic personal emergency radiation detectors (PERDs), reference ANSI N42.49A;
• Non-alarming PERDs, reference ANSI N42.49B.

The scope does not include the capabilities specific to nuclear safeguards, security of nuclear facilities, nuclear forensics, or technical reachback analysis.

Although they are not the focus of this standard, radiation detection instruments used primarily for other missions and capabilities (e.g., Response and Recovery mission areas) may have some applications for RND mission areas and capabilities.

Training requirements from this standard should be considered for all radiation detection instrumentation used for any RND mission areas.

This standard establishes minimum requirements and provides recommendations and guidelines for organizations that develop individual courses and training programs, deliver training courses, and administer training programs in the RND mission areas described in the scope (1.1).

The standard describes the skills specific to the RND mission that are necessary for the core capability of RND Screening, Search, and Detection. This training is intended primarily for organizations involved in detection efforts.