Systems And Implementation: Radioactive Material Security - Integrating Law Enforcement Into Physical Protection Systems

The United States Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration Office of Radiological Security ORS), the Romanian Gendarmerie, and the National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control have significantly increased Romania’s ability to respond to a potential radiological security event. Through a collaborative effort in policy development, in-person training, and integration of radiological alarms directly into dispatch facilities, the Romanian Gendarmerie enhanced their response capability by providing a timely and trained response force to any attempted theft of high-activity radioactive materials. ORS and the Gendarmerie partnered together to build a central alarm monitoring station for all ORS-funded protected sites at one centralized location in Bucharest. This ensures timely notification of any radiological alarm at a protected site and provides immediate assessment capability to the organization actually responding to the incident. Establishing monitoring capabilities with the Gendarmerie significantly enhances situational awareness for all officers and specialized units responding to the incident, increasing officers’ safety and reducing the likelihood of material leaving the facility. Video feeds and images of the device room and surrounding areas provide the Gendarmerie with real-time information related to device/source status, numbers and descriptions of intruders, and possible adversary intent. Gendarmerie officers assigned to this central alarm station have received ORS-sponsored training on radiological response, which has increased their awareness of the unique challenges associated with a security incident involving high-activity radioactive materials.