GLENDALE, AZ — People living and working in downtown Phoenix may have heard a loud helicopter flying around Tuesday morning.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is doing security checks weeks before the Super Bowl.
Daniel Haber, a scientist with the NNSA, said it’s all part of the preparation for the Big Game, adding that they do this for every Super Bowl and other large-scale events.
The helicopters are equipped with two radiation detectors. They can fly as low as 150 feet above the ground to survey the background radiation on the ground.
“We do fly low and slow in a grid pattern. The reason being just simply, the closer we are to the surface, the higher the resolution of our data ultimately will be,” Haber said.
The data taken will be used in case a threat or attack was to happen during a big event like the Super Bowl. The administration takes note of any radioactive material, and Haber said there are legitimate, legal purposes.
“But if a threat actor got a hold of some of that material, they could potentially try to disperse that into the environment to harm people, we’re able to detect even the legitimate uses of those material,” he said. “When we do encounter that, we’ll investigate it, and make sure that they have the paperwork, that they’re supposed to have that material.”
If anything is detected, Haber said they work with local and federal law enforcement and they’ll take over from there.
The helicopter survey is only one of many other security measures being taken. Just weeks before the big game, Haber said NNSA staff will work with law enforcement on the ground to do sweeps.
“There’s nothing to be alarmed about. This is part of the normal operations to prepare for a major public event like this,” he said.
NNSA personnel surveyed areas including Glendale, Scottsdale and Phoenix over the past two days.
