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Tac-Alert
THE FUTURE OF RADIATION SECURITY
Mission
Mission
Making it safer and easier for law enforcement to detect concealed radioactive materials and react to potential threats
Threat
Illicit possession, transportation, and use of radioactive and nuclear materials
Threat
Markets
Law Enforcement
Emergency Responders
Border & Port Security
Transportation
Although not widely publicized, personal radiation detection (PRD) is an existing market within law enforcement, first responders, border protection, port security, and transportation safety missions. PRDs are being purchased today by law enforcement departments for daily use on patrol and covert screening during large events. In major metropolitan districts, first responder organizations such as firefighting, emergency medical, and hazardous materials specialists are also equipped with radiation detectors.
Current PRDs are based on dated sensor technologies, and the market has been slow to release new user interfaces compatible with common smart devices. Both of these realities unnecessarily limit the effectiveness of detecting, locating, and differentiating potential threats. Leveraging recently patented detection technology, Tac-Alert addresses these pain points in a product that significantly improves single-user capabilities and provides options for networked interfaces delivering unparalleled situational awareness, mission performance, and officer safety.
Markets
Solutions
Tac-Alert provides unprecedented hands-free situational awareness from a lightweight, inconspicuous design. The device can be worn separately or integrated into existing tactical vests. Blue halos denote embedded sensor locations. Additionally, the same cutting-edge technology can be easily deployed at stationary locations.
What makes it better?
1
Safety
2
Directionality
3
Performance
4
New Capability
Keep your eyes, hands, and ears free. Tac-Alert requires no user handling. Indications are provided directly to the officer without numerical displays, flashing lights, or audible alarms.
Locate threats quickly with Tac-Alert's built-in directionality. No more circling and guessing where to look.
More reliable at detecting threats compared to other PRDs. Receive alerts about a nearby source sooner with fewer nuisance alarms. Ask us about wireless data transmission and networking.
Best PRD for hard-to-detect shielded sources. Shielding conceals the true emission rate and hazard of radioactive sources. Vastly improved standoff detection of high threat sources "hidden" by shielding is important to the mission.
Solutions
Team
The Beginning
The genesis of Tac-Alert began with Roland Benke and David Hamby, two accomplished professionals with doctorates in nuclear engineering at the pinnacle of their careers possessing a combined 57 years of experience in radiological science and engineering including 6 years in law enforcement and 7 years in entrepreneurial activities. As lead inventors on multiple US patents, they have secured domestic research funding for technology development as well as international funding for technology demonstrations under previous affiliations. This duo conceived Tac-Alert and proceeded to spearhead initial developments including corporate governance, intellectual property protection, prototype design and fabrication, and business planning. Mr. Earnshaw has succeeded Dr. Hamby on Tac-Alert's Board of Managers in the role of Vice President.
The Team
President
Dr. Roland Benke is an entrepreneur, technology pioneer, and subject matter expert. He is board certified in health physics and a partner of a successful software development company. From a nationwide call, Dr. Benke was selected by the US Department of Homeland Security and the National Nuclear Security Administration to receive specialized FEMA training for responding to major radiological incidents, such as dirty bomb attacks and nuclear weapon strikes. In this capacity, he has supported various federal, state, and local organizations during emergency response exercises. Dr. Benke’s advanced detection technologies and measurement techniques have been featured in R&D Magazine, customized by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency to detect radioactive hot spots from aerial drone surveys, selected by the US Department of Defense for on-site demonstrations, and invited by the US Department of Homeland Security for emerging technology briefings to the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office in Washington, DC.
As a principal investigator, Roland led a month-long fieldwork campaign at the Sunset Crater volcanic site involving more than six geologists and engineers collecting airborne particle measurements. He has also facilitated and contributed to irradiation experiments at domestic and international particle accelerators for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. In 2021, the EPA Administrator appointed him to its Science Advisory Board, and the Texas Governor commissioned his service on the Texas Radiation Advisory Board. Roland also enjoys lending his expertise as an associate editor of Health Physics, The Radiation Safety Journal.
Vice President
Mr. Stan Earnshaw is an executive committed to the evaluation and success of commercially viable, new technologies. As the Vice President of Tac-Alert, Mr. Earnshaw directs corporate strategy with Dr. Benke. Most recently, Stan was the co-founder and VP Sales & Marketing for PointCentral, now a subsidiary of Alarm.com (ALRM). PointCentral provides short and long-term property managers with an enterprise-class, cloud-based Smart Home automation solution.
Previously, Stan led Supra Products, Inc., a $150 Million division of General Electric for providing information and showing services to over 900,000 real estate agents including 300+ real estate associations and multiple listing services. Before Supra, Stan was engaged in sales, program management, and client services for cloud and client-based technology organizations. Stan holds a Bachelor degree in Business with a minor in Computer Science from Oregon State University. He resides in Wilsonville, Oregon with his wife and is the father to two successful, grown children.
Ms. Charlotte Benke is a multifaceted technical professional who brings two decades of experience in technical sales for a global manufacturer of welding products and equipment, financial services for a Top 10 bank, secondary science education instruction, and operations management of a successful small business in Fort Worth, Texas. Charlotte holds a Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a Master degree in the Art of Teaching from Texas Woman’s University. She is a published author and passionate about confronting new challenges and building professional relationships.
Operations Manager
Product Manager
Mr. Shriram Neelakandan joined our team in early 2020 and leads product development with extensive expertise in product management and systems engineering. Shriram is well accustomed to startup environments in product management, engineering systems design, and customer management. He brings hands-on engineering experience in electronic internet-of-things systems as well as large-scale renewable energy systems. He holds a Bachelor degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering as well as a Diploma in Nautical Science with previous service as a merchant mariner. He resides with his family in Austin, Texas.
Executive Advisor
With over 40 years of combined military and corporate experience, Major General (ret.) Jason Kamiya joined the Advisory Council in early 2023. He is best known for helping organizations achieve competitive advantage through strategy formulation and operational planning by employing cross-functional coalitions, alignment and synchronization of resources, and enrolling talent. He is the founder of Jason Kamiya Associates, LLC, a consulting practice assisting clients with strategy formulation, operational planning, and employee and team development. Upon retirement from the military, Jason joined the United Service Automobile Association (USAA) as senior vice president for 11 years. Jason is the former chairman of the board of Special Reach, a community non-profit supporting families of children with special needs, and held two past board memberships with other non-profit organizations.
A native Hawaiian and son of a World War II veteran of the all-Japanese American 100th Infantry Battalion (442nd Regimental Combat Team), Jason is a veteran of three combat campaigns, including service as the deputy operations officer and principal planner for the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) Combat Team during Operation Desert Shield. After commanding a multinational joint task force in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, comprising all branches of the US Armed Forces and elements from US/NATO partner nations, he was assigned as the Director for Joint Training, US Joint Forces Command, and the principal representative to the Office of the Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) and Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for all US joint training matters. In this capacity, he executed technical direction and management of a $307 Million joint training budget in support of US joint combatant commands, and extended joint training partnerships with foreign militaries and governments of US/NATO partner nations spanning five continents. Prior to command in Afghanistan, Jason served as Commanding General, Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana, one of the US Army’s two premier training centers for combined arms brigade combat teams. Earlier in his career, Jason served in the Office of the President of the United States as senior military assistant to the Director of National Drug Control Policy, a US Cabinet-level official, where he was involved with coordinating activities between the Director, the White House, Department of Defense, other US government departments and agencies, and city/state drug enforcement organizations to implement a $19 Billion national drug strategy.
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Coding
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Contact
Contact
Contact our Texas office
(512) 551-3740
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