Washington – The government is researching whether the best defense against a chemical, biological or radiological attack might one day be right in everyone’s hands — or on their ears.
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Homeland Security officials are looking into outfitting cellphones with detectors that would alert emergency responders to radiological isotopes, toxic chemicals and biological agents such as anthrax.
“If it’s successful, it’ll change the way chemical, biological and radiation detection is done,” says Rolf Dietrich, deputy director of the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency, which invests in high-tech solutions to secure the nation against terrorist attacks. “It’s a really, really neat thing.”
Dietrich says it’s way too early to know whether the idea would work, and department officials are just beginning talks with phone companies and privacy advocates. If it does work, he says, it could be a “game-changer” in how the nation recognizes and responds to a deadly attack. [usatoday]