
Understanding Alerts
Investigate the alarm:
Once an alert has been confirmed a second time, it is important to
try to determine the root cause of the alarm. There are legitimate reasons why a person
might trigger an alarm.
For example:
• In many regions of the world, ammonium nitrate – which can be used as an explosive –
is also commonly used as fertilizer. If a person has handled ammonium nitrate fer-
tilizer, they might cause an alert.
• Since the Fido X4 detects the elemental sulfur in black powder, a person might have
recently handled match heads, or vulcanized rubber (vehicle tires) which will cause an
alarm.
• A person might be taking heart medication such as nitroglycerin or PETN, both of
which are also explosives in spite of their medical applications.
9.3 Follow Organizational Protocols
Proper investigation and determining the root cause of the alarm is one of the most import-
ant tasks you can perform as an operator. You should follow established Standard Operating
Procedures (SOP) or protocols set by your unit, organization, or company.
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