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Public safety

National Security Standards

Providing national security professionals with the innovative technical solutions and information they need to prevent and respond to terrorism

Exoskeleton composite image

Exoskeleton Technical Interchange Meeting: Jan 26-27, 2017
B-Temia Dermoskeleton

Robotic Exoskeletons: The Standards Gap
detector

New Spectrometry Standard for Handheld Chemical Detectors Aids First Responders

We work to improve public safety and security through science-based standards. We do this by promoting innovative technologies, fostering communications, and building enduring partnerships with federal, state, local, private sector, and international partners.

We focus on developing technical standards related to national security, including measurement science and standards for Chemical/Biological/Radiological/Nuclear/Explosive (CBRNE) detection, personal protective equipment (PPE), and physical infrastructure resilience and security.

Our efforts support the 2011 National Strategy for CBRNE Standards through improved interagency collaboration for standards development.

News and Updates

Events

Projects and Programs

Public Safety Communications Research

Ongoing
Too often in critical situations communications the data exchanges between law enforcement and public safety agencies are hampered by equipment incompatibilities. In large part these incompatibilities are due to a lack of standards to provide a common, nationwide approach to telecommunications and

Structure-Property Relationships for High-Strength Materials

Ongoing
The body-armor community generally bases armor design on empirical models that do not directly relate molecular properties to performance. Aramid, aramid copolymers, and polyethylene fibers are highly oriented, anisotropic fibers that require specialized characterization techniques. In addition
Cannabis Buds

Chemical Foundations for a Cannabis Breathalyzer

Ongoing
NIST's initial work in cannabis science was a series of measurements of the vapor pressure of two important cannabinoids: delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Our current effort is funded in part by interagency agreements with the ational Institute of Justice and by the NIST

Publications

Field-Deployable Devices

Author(s)
Thomas P. Forbes, Raychelle Burks
Reductions in instrument size, weight, and power continue to facilitate the development and application of field-deployable devices for investigative purposes

Tools and Instruments

Large Aperture Scanner

Large Aperture Scanner

The Large Aperture Scanner (LAS) scans a radar transceiver over a 5 meter by 20 meter aperture. Image reconstruction techniques enable a three-dimensional
Smiths Detection_6046si

Cabinet x-ray system

The Smiths Detection 6046si cabinet x-ray system was designed for security screening of bags, parcels and other objects of similar size. The system runs at 160
X-ray backscatter systems

X-ray Backscatter Systems

X-ray backscatter systems are used for the screening of personnel for hidden weapons and other contraband. Unlike conventional radiographic x-ray systems
Reference Ballistic Chronograph Figure 1

Reference Ballistic Chronograph

The NIST-developed reference ballistic chronograph (RBC) provides repeatable measurements of the speed of a bullet that will impact a test article, such as