Effective Explosives Detection Training Using Simulants

The Need for Better Explosives Detection Training

X-ray screeners and other key security staff are required to detect items such as explosives, Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), weapons, drugs and other threat items. However, many security screeners will have little or no experience or exposure to these types of items due to their lack of availability.

Security screeners may be able to identify guns and perhaps grenades as they have little variation in their geometrical shapes and are easily recognisable. However, explosives, explosive devices, their components and drugs are a lot harder to detect given that they are generally moulded into different shapes in order for them to be concealed in other items thus never maintaining a fixed geometrical pattern.

For explosives screening to be successful operators must understand the concealment potential of items and have the interpretation skills to identify them both with and without concealed explosives. Unfortunately a survey carried out in Airports using the Simfox x-ray training simulator has found that detection of concealed IED, without the adequate training, can drop as low as 12%.

Current Explosives Detection Training

Much of the explosives familiarisation training around the world is carried out sporadically using pictures and real explosives. Showing pictures of explosives is ineffectual as it only provides limited visual training and does not hold the attention of security personnel.

Using real explosives would be ideal, however obtaining and transporting them is extremely difficult, dangerous and inadvisable and therefore cannot be used to provide a regular and effective training plan.

This means that security check point personnel are often forced to rely on limited knowledge and experience to detect items that could cause widespread devastation.

Renful's Explosives Detection Training Product Suite

Renful has therefore developed an integrated product suite designed to provide security trainers with the tools needed to develop an explosive detection training plan that covers the key factors needed to increase screener x-ray interpretation and detection skills; familiarisation of threat functionality, geometrical patterns and concealment potential.

These are:

1. Educational Kits
2. Inert Explosives & Components
3. Drill Library
4. Drill Library +
5. Integrated Explosives Detection Training Plan

a) Educational Kits

Renful Premier Technologies has developed a range of educational kits that are designed to teach security operatives about the texture, weight and geometrical pattern of different threat items and their components.

Each training kit has been developed to provide familiarisation training on different aspects of explosives, explosive devices, their components and drugs. Each kit contains detailed educational material and his held in a hard briefcase for safe keeping and ease of transport.

Contact Renful for more information on how to improve your explosives detection training & testing.

b) Inert Explosives and Components

Renful has developed a range of state of the art simulant explosives, explosive device components and drugs for the use in threat detection training and testing, machine testing and the self preparation of concealed IEDs.

As these simulants maintain the correct texture, colour and geometrical pattern of real explosives they are ideal for use in visual familiarisation and hand search training.

As Renful’s inert explosives are made from CT correct materials they retain the correct x-ray signature and can therefore be used by many organisations around the world for the calibration & testing of explosive detection technology like trace detectors and x-ray machines.

These inert explosives and components also allow for the self preparation of drill items by security trainers to control the complexity of the testing object given to their employees.

Contact Renful for more information on how to improve your explosives detection training & testing.

c) Drill Library

Renful has developed a range of ready made concealed threat objects for customers who do not wish to be engaged in their preparation themselves.

Renful professionals build a simulated IED or other threat item all made from CT correct densities and conceal them in innocent objects. This makes these drill items ideal for both visual familiarisation training, hand search training and x-ray threat detection training and testing.

Contact Renful for more information on how to improve your explosives detection training & testing.

d) Drill Library +

While all drill items created by Renful are built following consultation from weapon and explosives experts, they cannot be validated. Validation refers to the likelihood that such an item will be used by a terrorist organisation.

Drill Library + offers concealed weapons and IEDs that have been validated by intelligence gathered by Infogence Terrorism Reports.

Infogence Systems (a Renful Company) infiltrates extremist websites and gathers intelligence on terrorist bomb manufacturing activities. Renful’s explosives experts are then able to create drill items based on the recipes and instructions gathered.

Contact Renful for more information on how to improve your explosives detection training & testing.

e) Integrated Explosives Detection Training Plan

Renful Premier Technologies was founded in 1994 following growing demands in the security sector for specialised security training. Dedicated to providing a unique and innovative approach to security training, Renful was established by security professionals who previously dealt with the training and testing of screeners in airports and other airline security operations.

Renful's comprehensive range of security training products enables it to offer an integrated approach to explosives detection training.

Infogence Intelligence Reports

For example, the TATP filled tennis ball found in our Drill Library + was created following intelligence gathered by Infogence in late 2008.
On receiving the report from Infogence, security managers are able to immediately increase the awareness and knowledge of their security screeners to this distinct threat.

Explosive Simulantss

Renful’s inert TATP explosives can then be used to provide screeners with visual and hands on familiarisation training. The TATP can also be used to test any explosive trace detection technology, making sure that it is in working order.

Drill Library +

Renful’s inert TATP explosives can then be used to provide screeners with visual and hands on familiarisation training. The TATP can also be used to test any explosive trace detection technology, making sure that it is in working order.

Simfox X-ray Familiarisation Training

The tennis ball simulant IED can then be scanned onto Simfox, the x-ray image processor and training and testing simulator. Simfox is compatible with all major x-ray manufacturers and maintains each machine’s correct image enhancements and image resolution.
The concealed tennis ball can be compared to other individual tennis balls for initial x-ray interpretation skills training.

Simfox X-ray Detection Training & Testing

The x-ray trainer may then conceal the drill item in as many different types of bags as they want and place them in lessons on the x-ray simulator for the screeners to train and be tested.

Statistical Module

Once testing has been completed, each screener‘s test results can be viewed via Simfox’s advanced statistical module. Trainers are then able to adjust each screener’s training plan based on his/her weaknesses.

Contact Renful for more information on how to improve your explosives detection training & testing.