Bombs and Bomb Squads

The history and development of bomb disposal squads in the United States are scarred by injury, death, and lawsuits. In fact, change or advancement has usually been the unfortunate by-product of a major injury or death. Currently, approximately 440 of these specialized units exist in the United States (approximately 405 police department units and 35 fire department units) that are responsible for the detection and rendering safe of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), hazardous materials, and weapons of mass destruction. In total, approximately 2,300 certified bomb technicians in the United States have graduated the elite Hazardous Devices School (HDS) at the Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama, which has been administrated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation since 1971. Approximately 125 women have successfully completed the HDS training, and approximately 42 females are active certified bomb technicians in the United States. The majority of these bomb technicians perform other fulltime police or fire duties and are oncall for these specialized calls. These technicians must maintain proficiency with the use of x-ray equipment and interpretation, robot manipulation (217 bomb squads have robots), bomb suit use, water cannons or disrupters deployment, explosive detection canine development and use, and a variety of other detection and disruption tools. Current intelligence information updates regarding terrorist methods and devices are essential for the successful deployment of a bomb squad response team. The New York City Police Department Bomb Squad, which is the oldest and largest bomb squad in the United States, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2003 and is currently staffed with approximately 42 fulltime bomb technicians.

Prior to 1971, responsibility for handling IEDs, except in a few major metropolitan areas, was given to the United States Armed Forces Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units. Based on the increase of radical and terrorist bombings in the 1960s and 1970s, the federal government—in the form of the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration—and public safety agencies—in the form of the International Association of Chiefs of Police—entered into agreements to respond to this urgent situation. The International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators was founded in 1973 with a charter mandate to maintain and enhance the professionalism of bomb technicians and bomb crime scene investigators.

Selection and training of U.S. bomb technicians has evolved from an informal process of trial and error at several municipal police agencies to a rigorous, professional, and national selection, training, and certification program under the aegis of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Instruction subjects include chemistry, electricity, electronics, explosives, and terrorist methods and operations. Graduates from HDS must survive a battery of physical tests, written exams, and hands-on clinical “real” problems, rendering safe IEDs both remotely and with hand-entry techniques. These requirements, curriculum, and standards establish and define these bomb technicians as a truly professional group that possesses both a unique argot and a specialized professional practice.

The improvised explosive device or bomb is the threat object that bomb response teams most often confront. The most common IED in the United States is a pipe bomb. Available data indicate [Page 27]that between 1973 and 1998, 43,776 actual and attempted bombing incidents were reported in the United States. The single highest reporting year was 1994, with 3,163 incidents. Between 1980 and 1999, there were 272 terrorist incidents, plus 55 suspected terrorist incidents and 130 terrorism incidents that were prevented. Between 1981 and 2001, there were 2,939 U.S. citizen casualties resulting from international terrorism. What makes the IED so dangerous is that it is unpredictable. As opposed to military ordinance, which are manufactured to meet government standards and for which detailed information regarding descriptions and methods for disarming is published in government texts, IEDs are fabricated by unknown bombmakers whose knowledge and skills can range from poor to excellent or novice to expert. The IEDs may not even perform in the manner the designer intended. This makes the rendering safe of these devices by the bomb disposal teams very dangerous and requires investigative and assessment skills to design a response plan that provides maximum safety for both the general public and the bomb technicians. Usually before the bomb technician attempts a render-safe procedure, the area near the IED is evacuated to a minimum of 1,000 feet. If the bomb squad arrives after a bomb has exploded, they are usually tasked with the postblast crime scene investigation. This requires specially designed techniques for searching for evidence at a bombing scene. Bomb technicians practice procedures attempting to find the parts that remain after an IED has functioned.

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