In the latest episode of its "Inside the Lab" YouTube series, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is featuring the Radiological Assistance Program (RAP), offering a rare look at how national laboratory scientists support high-stakes nuclear and radiological emergency response operations. Watch the episode here.
RAP is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Nuclear Emergency Support Team (NEST), a multi-mission federal capability managed by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). It is the nation's premier first-responder organization for assessing and characterizing radiological threats. Many RAP responders, including those based at LLNL, serve on RAP teams in addition to their full-time science roles.
The program's mission falls into three primary areas: consequence management, crisis response and regional preparedness. From deploying radiation-detection teams during emergencies to advising on safety measures after contamination events, RAP supports threat assessment, decision-making and coordination across all levels of government.
Deployed to major national events
RAP is frequently called upon by law enforcement and emergency planners during large public events, ranging from sporting championships to political conventions, where the presence of nuclear or radiological materials must be ruled out.
"One of the things we can do at the request of law enforcement is something called preventive radiological/nuclear detection," said LLNL nuclear engineer Jessica Mintz. "We may be called to support a large sporting event or a large political event to rule out the presence of nuclear and radiological threats."
Operations can include mobile surveys of residential neighborhoods or pre-event scans inside venues. The team deploys detectors that are mounted in vehicles or that can fit in backpacks. They can canvas urban or rural areas, residential neighborhoods or venues to look for things that aren't supposed to be there of a radiological nature, Mintz said.
"There might be a vanguard that goes out several months before the event to establish a background, may walk the empty stadium with backpacks, may drive around the residential neighborhoods and identify any sources of radiation that we can then dismiss as threat items later."
Supporting public health and safety
Beyond event security, RAP responds to incidents involving potential contamination, environmental releases or even public uncertainty about radiological materials.
For example, a member of the public bought a desk on Craigslist and discovered items marked with the radiation trefoil symbol, Mintz recalled. After posting their concern on Facebook, the case was referred to the RAP team. Mintz and her colleagues assessed the desk on-site and found real radioactive materials, including radium dials and thorium welding rods belonging to the previous owner, a watchmaker.
"[The woman] was very concerned about how much [our services] were going to cost when we got there," Mintz said. "I told her, 'You're paying your tax dollars. We are from the Department of Energy. We're a government function.'"
A mission grounded in science
RAP scientists are trained to distinguish routine background radiation from more concerning signals. Using real-time analysis and tools like waterfall spectral charts, responders can quickly identify specific radioactive isotopes.
In contamination-related operations - such as post-disaster response or incidents at hospitals - RAP responders wear protective gear and use mobile equipment to collect samples and assess the environment.
"We may be taking soil samples. We may be taking water samples. All these things have particulates that could spread contamination, so I have multiple layers of protection here to keep me from getting contaminated," Mintz said.
A national mission, a personal commitment
Founded in 1958, RAP has earned a reputation as the nation's go-to scientific authority for radiological incident response. Today, RAP operates across seven DOE regions. LLNL is home to Region 7, which covers much of the western United States. The work, Mintz said, is both technically rewarding and personally meaningful.
"I feel like I have something important to wake up for every day. I really believe in the mission of the Laboratory and in the national security mission of entities like NEST and like RAP," Mintz said. "Being able to take all the stuff that I was super pumped on as a nuclear engineering nerd in school and actually apply that to my day-to-day work is a dream come true. And the fact that it helps people have confidence in our ability to keep them safe is a bonus."
Watch the full Inside the Lab episode on the Radiological Assistance Program here.
