RadScout is a handheld radiation detector thatidentifies the type of radioisotopes present ina location with the precision that until nowwas found only in laboratory instruments. Ateam at Lawrence Livermore NationalLaboratory (LLNL) developed the detectorand transferred it to ORTEC, a business unitof AMETEK, Inc. RadScout is the firstcommercialized radiation detectormanufactured with its capability, and itresponds to a critical need of first respondersin every field.Before RadScout was available, firstresponders encountering a possible radiationsource had to experience a potentially deadlytime delay as samples containing possiblydangerous radioisotopes were either sent to alaboratory for analysis or isolated whilelaboratory equipment was shipped to thesample. RadScout provides fire departments,government authorities, and hazard andmedical teams with a handheld radiationidentifier that distinguishes harmless fromdangerous radioisotopes so they can makeintelligent, life-saving decisions quickly.RadScout is self-contained, weighs only 25pounds, and contains its own battery-operatedcooling unit, which allows the detector tooperate for several hours before the batteriesneed to be recharged. RadScout can alsooperate from various sources, including ACpower and car batteries using a cigarette lighteradapter.An American-owned company, ORTEC is one ofthe world’s leading manufacturers of radiationdetectors. Its product line includes over 1600products. For 40 years, ORTEC has worked withU.S. government agencies and privateindustries, and with the research anddevelopment group of Defense and NuclearTechnologies at LLNL. ORTEC manufacturesRadScout under the product names Detectiveand Detective EX.The development of RadScout will have a majorimpact on the security of America’s citizensand infrastructure. The greatest tangible benefitof RadScout is that its portability and real-timedata analysis allow first responders to knowimmediately upon inspection if there is a healthor safety threat and the magnitude of the threat.Real-time data analysis will allow intelligentdecisions to be made much more quickly,which translates into the potential of savingthousands of lives in just one event of aterrorist threat.