The disclosure relates to a portable system having a fiber array spectral
translator ("FAST") for obtaining a spatially accurate
wavelength-resolved image of a sample having a first and a second spatial
dimension that can be used for the detection of hazardous agents by
irradiating a sample with light, forming an image of all or part of the
sample using Raman shifted light from the sample, and analyzing the Raman
shifted light for patterns characteristic of one or more hazardous
agents.