Which identification is obtained using fielded devices to indicate possible presence of a CBRN/target substance?

• A. Confirmed Identification
• B. Suspect Identification
• C. Positive Identification
• D. Presumptive Identification

Answer: (D)

Presumptive Identification is the idea here. In field CBRN work, handheld detectors and quick-field tests are used to indicate that a substance might be present. These results guide immediate actions—such as protective measures, decontamination, and escalation of response—without confirming the substance with lab-grade analysis. They’re designed for speed and safety, not final certainty.

A few nuances help solidify this: confirmed or positive identification requires lab-based, definitive testing with high confidence, which isn’t what field devices provide. The term used for field results that suggest a possible presence, pending laboratory confirmation, is presumptive identification. And the term “suspect identification” isn’t the standard designation for CBRN field results.