Commercially Available Radiation Scanning Systems for Cargo and Conveyances

The Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection and the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office plan to issue a Request for Information in early Fiscal Year 2012 to identify commercially available off-the-shelf radiation scanning systems capable of detecting and identifying radiation sources in cargo and conveyances entering the United States through land and seaport crossings. These systems must effectively detect a variety of radiation threats, including nuclear weapons, improvised nuclear devices, special nuclear materials, and radiological dispersal devices, while also distinguishing between innocent sources of radiation such as naturally occurring radioactive material and materials used in medical and industrial applications. The scanning systems should be capable of rapidly and accurately scanning full-sized vehicles, trucks, buses, cargo containers, or combinations thereof. These radiation detection solutions may take the form of fixed portal systems or other designs and must have capabilities to collect, analyze, report, and archive data for each conveyance inspected. The effort is intended to ensure national security by enhancing radiation detection capabilities at U.S. borders. This notice serves only as an informational announcement and is not an active solicitation or request for competitive quotations, with no solicitation document currently available, and inquiries by phone will not be addressed. The program manager overseeing this effort is Paul Burrowes, and the contracting office is the Contract Administration Services Division of the Department of Homeland Security, headquartered in Washington, D.C.