[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 89 (Wednesday, May 8, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26795-26798]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10928]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Announcement of Requirements and Registration for the National
Radiological and Nuclear Detection Challenge
AGENCY: Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, DHS.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: DNDO announces the National Radiological and Nuclear Detection
(Rad/Nuc) Challenge, a participation challenge being conducted under
the America Competes Reauthorization Act, for state, local, and tribal
law enforcement, other first responders, public safety officials, and
Civil Support Team members.
DATES: The Rad/Nuc Challenge will be held from August 20 through August
22, 2013.
ADDRESSES: The Rad/Nuc Challenge will be hosted at the I.G. Brown Air
National Guard Training and Education Center, Alcoa, Tennessee, near
Knoxville.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Timothy Smith, (202) 254-7297,
[email protected]. To register for and find additional
information about the Rad/Nuc challenge, visit http://www.radnucchallenge.org.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
General
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Domestic Nuclear
Detection Office (DNDO), announces the National Radiological and
Nuclear Detection (Rad/Nuc) Challenge, a participation challenge
authorized under 15 U.S.C. 3719(c)(3), for state, local, and tribal law
enforcement, other first responders, public safety officials, and Civil
Support Team members. The purpose of the Rad/Nuc Challenge is to
increase proficiency, improve Concepts of Operations, and promote
proper use of Radiation and Nuclear Detection (RND) equipment by state
and local agencies in support of the domestic RND mission to prevent
the illicit use and/or movement of radioactive materials within the
United States.
The Rad/Nuc Challenge will consist of a competitive RND search
exercise held over a three-day period. The competition is designed to
develop and recognize enhanced RND search skills, train on the use of
various pieces of RND equipment, and influence vendors and developers
to adapt and improve RND equipment capability and suitability for field
use.
The event will be hosted at the I.G. Brown Air National Guard
Training and Education Center located in Alcoa, Tennessee, near
Knoxville. Equipment specific and RND search refresher training will be
provided for all competitors on the first day of the event prior to the
start of the competition.
I. Subject of Challenge Competition
The purpose of the Rad/Nuc Challenge is to further DNDO's vision of
a Nation ready to detect and interdict terrorist radiological and/or
nuclear threats by the effective and efficient integration of
capabilities and resources of the Global Nuclear Detection Architecture
(GNDA). Specifically, the Rad/Nuc Challenge will serve to coordinate
implementation of the domestic portion of the GNDA, strengthen its
operational relationships, and improve detection capabilities across
the GNDA. The Rad/Nuc Challenge will provide a mechanism to improve
radiation detection capabilities of Federal, state, local, and tribal
stakeholders through competitive exercise, increased awareness and
cooperation, and first-hand interaction with RND equipment vendors and
developers. The Rad/Nuc Challenge will exploit the proven success and
cost-effectiveness of trade shows and challenge competitions to advance
capabilities in the RND field.
The Rad/Nuc Challenge is an RND proficiency competition. Even
though it is designed to incorporate specific RND job skills or tasks,
it may be necessary to deviate from, or be innovative in the
application of, certain existing protocols and procedures in order to
obtain the
[[Page 26796]]
best overall result and win the competition.
Two components, the Maze and the Container Search, make up the Rad/
Nuc Challenge competitive exercise. This RND exercise will be organized
in flights and heats of competitors. Flights will be composed of
multiple heats. Each heat may include four or more competitors, with
each competitor occupying one lane on the RND search course. Sources
may be changed and/or repositioned between flights and/or heats to
allow competitors to view the competition of other flights and heats.
All competitors within a given flight will be sequestered and called to
the course when their heat is ready to start. Advancing through each
round of the competition will be based on a competitor's detection and
identification accuracy and RND search course completion time. Time
penalties may be incurred for radiation source detection and
identification errors. Competitor times will be measured at least to
the 0.1 of a second by an automated timing system.
Radiological sources employed for the Rad/Nuc Challenge will
include isotopes common to typical detection instrument libraries, but
may include isotopes that are not in some libraries. A list of actual
sources that may be encountered during the event will be communicated
to registered competitors prior to the competition. Source strengths
will be sufficient such that most competitors should be able to detect
and identify the sources using a typical personal radiation detector
(PRD) and/or a radioisotope identification device (RIID).
All competitors will have the opportunity to participate in a
practice round and the first elimination round. Competitor RND search
completion times in each elimination round, including any time
penalties incurred, will be used to determine which competitors
advance. A maximum time limit will be set. Competitors who do not
finish within the time limit will receive the maximum time plus
applicable penalties.
Competitors will be required to use commercially available RND
equipment to detect, localize, and identify radiation sources.
Competitors may also be required to determine and indicate relative
radiation source strengths. Competitors are encouraged to use their own
RND equipment. However, a limited amount of RND equipment will be
available for use by competitors at the event.
Time penalties will be assessed for radiation detection,
localization, identification, and relative source strength
inaccuracies. Competitors will be required to balance accuracy and
speed to obtain the best possible time and win the competition.
Below we describe the Maze and Container Search components of the
exercise in greater detail.
A. The Maze
The Maze requires locating radiation sources hidden among a number
of identical tables. The tables in each lane will be arranged in
identical patterns. A pre-determined number of radiological sources
will be placed in boxes in each of the lanes. Each competitor or team
will compete in their own lane. (See Figure 1 for a possible layout
arrangement.)
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN08MY13.000
The sources will vary in size and by isotope within a single lane,
but only one primary isotope will be in any box. Each lane will have an
identical mix of sources. Each competitor will have a marking mechanism
to clearly identify the boxes containing sources. These markers will be
clearly visible to the referees and spectators. Background measurements
will be taken before the event to identify any Naturally Occurring
Radioactive Materials (NORM) or spectators/participants with medical
isotopes in the area which might affect the competition.
B. The Container Search
The Container Search requires each competitor to detect and locate
sources hidden inside shipping containers. Single or multiple sources
may be placed at various heights above the ground, but along the
centerline of the containers. Each competitor will compete in their own
lane on either side of the container row. (See Figure 2 for a possible
layout arrangement.)
[[Page 26797]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN08MY13.001
The containers will be placed in rows end-to-end, spaced so that
access is possible between containers to allow entry for source
placement and position changes. The side of each container will have a
grid for competitors to use to indicate the source's location. Sources
positioned at the centerline of containers will be of sufficient
strength to be detected by most competitors using a typical PRD or
RIID. Background measurements will be taken before the event to
identify any NORM or spectators/participants with medical isotopes in
the area which might affect the competition.
II. Eligibility To Participate in the Competition
Pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 3719, American COMPETES Reauthorization Act
of 2010, Public Law 111-358, the Rad/Nuc Challenge is open only to (i)
Individuals who are at least 18 years of age and citizens or permanent
residents of the United States as of the time of entry, and (ii) teams
of eligible individuals, where each team member meets the eligibility
requirements for individual contestants.
The Rad/Nuc Challenge is also limited to Civil Support Team
members, state, local and tribal law enforcement, other first
responders, and public safety officials. Other individuals, including
Federal employees or contractors whose work deals directly with
radiological and nuclear detection or detection equipment, may be
eligible to be non-competitive participants in the Rad/Nuc Challenge.
This means that unless otherwise ineligible, such individuals may
participate, but will not be eligible for an award, and will not
compete directly against the registered state, local and tribal law
enforcement, other first responders, public safety officials, and Civil
Support Team competitors for non-monetary awards in the competitive
exercise.
The following individuals and/or teams are not eligible, regardless
of whether or not they meet the criteria set forth above: (i) The
sponsoring agency, contractor, or other organization involved with the
design, production, promotion, execution, or distribution of the
competition (collectively ``Promotion Entities''); all employees,
representatives, and agents of such entities, and immediate family or
household members of any such employee, representative, or agent; (ii)
any individual and/or team involved with the design, production,
promotion, execution, or distribution of the competition and each
member of any such individual's immediate family or household; (iii)
any individual and/or team that employs any judge or that otherwise has
a material business relationship or affiliation with any judge; (iv)
any Federal entity or Federal employee acting within the scope of their
employment, or as may otherwise be prohibited by Federal law; and (v)
any individual and/or team that used Federal facilities or consulted
with Federal employees to develop their solution, unless the facilities
and employees were made available to all participants on an equitable
basis.
III. Registration for Competitors and Attendees
All Rad/Nuc Challenge competitors and attendees will be required to
register at www.radnucchallenge.org. The Web site will be open for
registration on May 8, 2013. Competitors and attendees are encouraged
to visit the Web site periodically for updates on the event and to
register for other Rad/Nuc Challenge events such as training, technical
briefings, and special exhibitions which may have limited space
available. These events will be made available on a first-come, first-
served basis.
In order to encourage broad participation and early registration,
DNDO will offer a travel reimbursement for the first 250 registered
state, local and tribal law enforcement, other first responders, public
safety officials, and Civil Support Team competitors. To encourage
broad agency participation, there will be a limit to the number of
competitors from a single agency that will be eligible for travel
reimbursement. Once travel obligations are made for the first 250
registered state, local and tribal law enforcement, other first
responders, public safety officials, and Civil Support Team
competitors, the travel reimbursement will no longer be available and a
notice will be posted on the Rad/Nuc Challenge Web site.
[[Page 26798]]
All Rad/Nuc Challenge non-competitor attendees, including
exhibitors, briefers, and observers, will be required to register and
may be required to pay a nominal fee. Exhibitors may also be required
to pay an additional fee to cover facility and other expenses related
to the exhibition. The total number of attendees may be limited by the
venue or exhibit area constraints so early registration is strongly
encouraged.
IV. Basis on Which Winners Will Be Selected
Advancement beyond the first round of each event is based on the
competitor's RND proficiency based on their overall score. A
competitor's score will be determined by the RND search course
completion time as measured by an automated timing system. Penalties
may be assessed by adding time to the competitor's raw completion time
for not locating all sources, incorrectly identifying sources,
reporting sources not present, inaccurately localizing sources, and
failing to navigate the RND search course properly. Competitors with
the best overall score based on speed and accuracy will be declared the
winners of each heat and, ultimately, through elimination rounds,
winner of the Rad/Nuc Challenge.
V. Prize
Winner(s) of the Rad/Nuc Challenge will be recognized for RND
performance excellence and expertise through non-monetary awards. The
winners of each component of the competitive exercise and the overall
winner will receive a trophy and certificate of achievement. The
winners' name, agency, equipment used, and winning score for each event
will also be posted on the Rad/Nuc Challenge Web site.
VI. Additional Information
The Rad/Nuc Challenge will also provide access to exhibits
featuring state of the art technologies supporting the RND mission,
advanced technology demonstrations that showcase capability enhancing
technologies under development, and an information exchange forum
consisting of RND mission related briefings, panel discussions, and
workshops. These forums will solicit user input on RND equipment
operational requirements, and share RND mission best practices and
lessons learned.
Exhibition space will be available to all Rad/Nuc Challenge
participants, including vendors, academia, national laboratories, and
government agencies to showcase advanced capabilities, RND and other
mission related equipment, and innovations in the RND mission area.
Availability is on a first come, first serve basis. User fees may
apply.
For registration and other information, see the event Web site at
www.radnucchallenge.org or contact Timothy Smith, DHS, DNDO, by email
at [email protected].
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 3719.
Rafael Borras,
Under Secretary for Management.
[FR Doc. 2013-10928 Filed 5-7-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-9D-P