U.S. Park Police Use Explosive Screening Device During Independence Day Celebration

  • Jul 31, 2008

After less than one hour of operational instruction, U.S. Park Police effectively used XPAKs to screen packages from randomly chosen attendees at the National Mall Celebration on the 4th of July.

More than 500 personal belongings such as purses, duffel bags, coolers and backpacks were screened over 9 hours of continuous screening operations. Tests were conducted throughout the day in temperatures upward of 85 degrees plus high humidity. The XPAK operated without failure and without false alarms.

“The XPAK met the needs of the U.S. Park Police for the broad venue on the 4th of July for trace explosive screening of people and their belongings as they entered the Monument grounds,” said Lt. Peter Shannon, commander with ICON Security, one of the primary operators of the XPAK. “The XPAK is simple, easy to use, and extremely rugged -- essential attributes for a system used for long periods of time in tough field conditions.”

The XPAK, currently deployed in both military and homeland security applications, uses a proprietary detection ink that enables the detection of trace amounts of explosives. The technology, developed and exclusively licensed from University of California, San Diego, and further developed by RedX, has many potential uses, including the detection of trace explosives on hands, objects, and vehicles indicative of explosives handling activities and in rapid, widespread screening applications as in mass transit, large events and visitor centers.

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