Radioactive Man? Milford Resident Pulled Over by State Police

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Radioactive Man? Milford Resident Pulled Over by State Police

Danbury News Times

Amanda Cuda

Thursday May 10, 2012

Mike Apatow was minding his own business Wednesday, driving to an appointment for work in Washington Depot when a state police car appeared suddenly and signaled for the Milford resident to pull over.

Apatow, 42, was entering Interstate 84 in Newtown when the cruiser appeared, and he had no idea what he'd done to merit police attention. It turns out he didn't do anything.

But earlier that day, Apatow, who'd experienced a recent spike in his blood pressure, had a nuclear stress test at Cardiology Associates of Fairfield County in Trumbull. In the test, a small amount of a radioactive material is injected into the veins and used to help track blood flow to the heart.

Though the amount of radioactive material used in the test is relatively low -- equal to a few X-rays or a diagnostic CT scan -- it was enough to set off a radioactivity detector in the state police car. The detectors are used to help identify potential terror threats.

I have heard this happens pretty often, my CBRNE Tech Class at Anniston discussed how sensitive these personal sized detectors are, just never seen an example in the news before. Just sounded like an interesting story.

[helicopper 1,050]

Happens all the time. Must have been a really slow news day!

[jack10562 414]

It's reassuring to know that there are detectors sensitive enough to activate in response to such minute quantities of radioactive material present.

[M' Ave 1,466]

It's reassuring to know that there are detectors sensitive enough to activate in response to such minute quantities of radioactive material present.

I'm with you.

[JM15 386]

I have heard that NYPD can't bring them some places because they are too sensitive and will activate. I might be wrong but I think Grand Central is one of those places?

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Your average brick in a brick house will expose you to more radiation a year than several chest x-rays. Each brick is roughly 7mrem/yr while a chest x-ray is roughly 1mrem/scan.

Had a load of bricks gone past the sensor, im sure that too would have set off the detector.

Im sure the reason why they cant bring them into underground places or places with high stone/brick/masonry is all of the radioactive elements naturally in the ground or included in the stone building material.

I dare anyone to take a scintillation detector and hold it up to any random brick, I am sure the radiation levels would be much higher than you expected.

I work with a form of radiation in one way or another almost every day, I am not afraid if it, what does amaze me however is how misinformed we as first responders are.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

I work with a form of radiation in one way or another almost every day, I am not afraid if it, what does amaze me however is how misinformed we as first responders are.

Absolutely. When I was doing the full-scale exercise program at Anniston it was very apparent to me that my skills vis a vis radiation detection and control were limited and that I've got to seek out some additional training in that area. I'm thinking about going out to CTOS in Nevada for their Rad/Nuke Tech class, anyone here have an opinion on that course? Is it worth the trip?

[Pagers 197]

There was a 60 Minutes episode a while back interviewing Raymond Kelly about the capabilities of the NYPD. They showed a Marine unit that had the detector and it was set off by a passing boater who just had KEMO.

[PEMO3 523]

It's reassuring to know that there are detectors sensitive enough to activate in response to such minute quantities of radioactive material present.

Even more reassuring is that the trooper acted on it.

[lad45der 78]

I had a Stress test before they gave me a card that said I had the test. A week later I was in JFK going away but I didn't trip any Detectors off.

[IzzyEng4 427]

When my father was alive and battleing cancer, he had to carry a card with him at all times because he was receiving radiation treatment. Even with the medical radioactive dyes and stuff for CT Scans ect, he had to have the card. And that was back in the late 80s and early 90s.

Edited May 12, 2012 by IzzyEng4