LLNL RAP Team Secures Big Game in Santa Clara

Specialized radiological monitoring equipment deployed to ensure public safety at the Super Bowl

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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Members of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL) Radiological Assistance Program (RAP) team, in support of the Nuclear Emergency Support Team (NEST), deployed to Santa Clara, California long before the Super Bowl to ensure public safety at the biggest sporting event in the country. The team used specialized radiological monitoring equipment, including low-altitude helicopter flights and vehicle checkpoints, to detect any potential radiological threats.

Why it matters

The Preventive Radiological and Nuclear Detection work at events like the Super Bowl is one aspect of the multi-mission nuclear emergency response capability that encompasses a network of scientists, engineers and emergency responders across several national laboratories. This vast security partnership, combined with multiple layers of detection and protection, helps ensure that any radiological threat is identified and addressed long before it enters the stadium.

The details

The LLNL RAP team, hosted by LLNL, handles detection and assessment for the western region, bringing Laboratory expertise into the field. Their work for the big game weekend began months prior in planning meetings with federal, state and local officials to safeguard not only the event itself, but the entire area from San Francisco to San José that would soon be flooded with out-of-state visitors and residents alike. The team built layers of detection, from low-altitude helicopter flights mapping a grid from the sky to vehicles monitoring traffic placed at checkpoints. Data from the field directly streams to the NEST Technical Operations Center where nuclear experts watched for anomalies.

  • The LLNL RAP team deployed to Santa Clara long before the Super Bowl.
  • The team's work for the big game weekend began months prior in planning meetings.

The players

LLNL Radiological Assistance Program (RAP)

A team from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory that handles detection and assessment for the western region, bringing Laboratory expertise into the field.

Nuclear Emergency Support Team (NEST)

Managed by the National Nuclear Security Administration for the U.S. Department of Energy, responsible for handling the nation's most pressing radiological and nuclear challenges.

Jason Schnackenberg

A member of the LLNL RAP team.

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What they’re saying

“We're here to search for threats so the equipment we deploy is incredibly sensitive. We're able to pick up some of the X-ray detectors as well as patients who have recently received radiation treatments. We can see these from hundreds of feet away sometimes.”

— Jason Schnackenberg, LLNL RAP team member

The takeaway

This case highlights the critical role that national laboratories and specialized teams like the LLNL RAP play in ensuring public safety at major events by deploying advanced radiological monitoring equipment and coordinating with federal, state, and local authorities to detect and address any potential threats.