Small tent buys time to respond to suspicious packages.

• Position: Homeland Security News - Rebus Jammer System - Brief article

* Radio frequency jammers that prevent improvised explosive devices from detonating via remote control have been employed for years in battle-fields to prevent roadside bombs from exploding.

First responders use the devices as well. The problem is that they suppress all communications in their transmission zones, which wreaks havoc on police, fire, and bombs squads, which need open lines of communication.

The 2008 London transportation system bombings prompted a British firm, Kirintec Ltd., to develop a tent-like structure that can be placed over a suspicious object. The Rebus jammer system cuts off outside signals that could be used to set off a bomb while preserving radio communications.

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"First responders can continue to communicate with each other while still having all the RF protection," said Chris Haggerson, a sales associate at the company's U.S. office.

The tent itself is made with copper mesh material which helps contain the jamming signal. A broadband antenna...