DHS Develops Container Security Test Bed Solution

March 28, 2012

As part of its mission to secure our nation’s borders, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Custom and Border Protection (CBP) must quickly and accurately monitor and inspect thousands of sea cargo containers entering U.S. ports each day.

As part of its mission to secure our nation’s borders, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Custom and Border Protection (CBP) must quickly and accurately monitor and inspect thousands of sea cargo containers entering U.S. ports each day. There’s a new way to test technical solutions to this challenge – the Container Security Test Bed (Test Bed) – developed by DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and Transportation Security Laboratory (TSL).

The Test Bed is an outdoor “laboratory” run by TSL engineers, which simulates the cranes and methods used to unload container ships at ports. It allows both private and public researchers and developers to work together to test – in a real-world setting – new types of sensors that can detect threats inside cargo containers including:

  • Drugs, 
  • Explosives, and
  • Chemical, biological or radiological weapons

Researchers are particularly interested in developing sensors that can capture a representative sample of the air inside a cargo container through air vents that are standard on cargo containers. They are also working to design sensors that could be built into cargo containers and programmed to send data on any illegal content to the receiving port while still in route.

This collaborative effort presents a unique and valuable opportunity as most maritime terminals equipped with the appropriate cranes and infrastructure to offload 40 foot containers do not have the time or flexibility to run experiments and test new screening technologies. It further represents another example of a public-private partnership working together to make our borders more safe and secure.

Ryan Loughin is Director of Petrochemical & Energy Solutions for the Advanced Integration division of ADT- www.adtbusiness.com/petrochem. He provides security education to CFATS and MTSA-affected companies and is a member of the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association (NPRA), Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Associates (SOCMA), Energy Security Council (ESC) and American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS). Loughin has also completed multiple levels of CVI Authorized User training (Chemical-Terrorism Vulnerability Information) which was authored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
 
Copyright © ADT Security Services, Inc. 2012 - All Rights Reserved. Legal Disclaimer - Some of the individuals posting to this site, including the moderators, work for ADT Security Services, Inc. Opinions expressed here and in any corresponding comments are the personal opinions of the original authors, not of ADT Security Services, Inc. The content is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to be an endorsement or representation by ADT Security Services, Inc. or any other party. This site is available to the public. No information you consider confidential should be posted to this site. By posting you agree to be solely responsible for the content of all information you contribute, link to, or otherwise upload to the Website and release ADT Security Services, Inc. from any liability related to your use of the Website. You also grant to ADT Security Services, Inc. a worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free and fully-paid, transferable (including rights to sublicense) right to exercise all copyright, publicity, and moral rights with respect to any original content you provide. The comments are moderated. Comments will appear as soon as they are approved by the moderator.

Sponsored Recommendations

Keys to Improving Safety in Chemical Processes (PDF)

Many facilities handle dangerous processes and products on a daily basis. Keeping everything under control demands well-trained people working with the best equipment.

Get Hands-On Training in Emerson's Interactive Plant Environment

Enhance the training experience and increase retention by training hands-on in Emerson's Interactive Plant Environment. Build skills here so you have them where and when it matters...

Rosemount™ 625IR Fixed Gas Detector (Video)

See how Rosemount™ 625IR Fixed Gas Detector helps keep workers safe with ultra-fast response times to detect hydrocarbon gases before they can create dangerous situations.

Micro Motion 4700 Coriolis Configurable Inputs and Outputs Transmitter

The Micro Motion 4700 Coriolis Transmitter offers a compact C1D1 (Zone 1) housing. Bluetooth and Smart Meter Verification are available.