South Carolina equips first responders with personal radiation detectors

Published 11 September 2007

South Carolina buys 300 GammaRAE II from RAE Systems; the portable detector provides prompt detection of gamma-ray sources

The state of South Carolina has purchased 300 GammaRAE II handheld radiation detectors and additional wirelessly enabled, MultiRAE Plus, handheld toxic gas monitors from RAE Systems (AMEX: RAE) for deployment to first responders. Doug Mayer, RAE Systems’ southeast regional manager, said that “The GammaRAE II radiation detectors give state responders a tool to deal with the threat of a ‘dirty bomb’ as well as the illicit trafficking of radioactive materials.”

The GammaRAE II is a personal radiation detector (PRD) providing prompt detection of gamma-ray sources — and it does so even in potentially flammable environments. The device is water-submersible for chemical decontamination purposes, and the company says it can be used in more environments than other personal radiation detectors. The GammaRAE II can also be used with the AreaRAE wireless network already deployed within the state. The MultiRAE Plus typically combines a photoionization detector (PID) with Oxygen (O2), Lower Explosive Limit (LEL), and a choice of two toxic gas sensors.