4226044 (Rev. C) © 2020 FLIR Systems, Inc.
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FLIR Fido® X4 Operations Manual
9
Understanding Alerts
When the Fido X4 indicates that possible explosives have been detected, it’s important to
understand what it means and have a plan in place to deal with the response.
When the Fido X4 indicates that explosives have been detected:
• Don’t panic.
• Confirm and investigate.
• Follow your protocols.
9.1 Don’t Panic
It is important that the operator of the Fido X4 be able to maintain awareness and presence
of mind. Do not indicate to the person responsible of the item begin screened that anything
is wrong. Begin to observe body language, vocal intonation, and posture. Ask innocuous
questions.
Questions like:
• “What do you think of the weather?”
• “How are you doing today?”
• “Where are you going today?”
These types of questions will help you observe behavior and buy time for further invest-
igation.
If a person being screened produces an alert, it does not necessarily mean that they have had
direct contact with explosives. They may have had inadvertent contact with explosives, or
may have a legitimate reason for contact with an explosives related compound.
9.2 Confirm and Investigate
When an alert occurs it is important to make sure you understand the alarm. Select
Info
from
the Threat Detected screen to learn more about the alarm.
For a complete anatomy of a threat screen, see "Sample information: threat detected" on p.
44.
Confirm the alarm:
Once you understand the alert, it’s important that you confirm the
alarm. Using a fresh swipe, re-sample the area that gave you a previous alert. If the alert
repeats, it is important to investigate the alert further.