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Bomb Disposal Organization

Within the American model, bomb disposal will be located in a variety of
places on agency organizational charts. As the overwhelming majority of
bomb squads in the United States are part-time units, and assignment is a
secondary assignment for the bomb technician, many squads are located
for convenience where the senior or supervisory technician is assigned.
Within the fire services, bomb disposal usually falls under one of two
specialty areas. Most commonly, bomb squads appear to be a component
of the hazardous materials function of a fire agency. This is a very logical
placement. First, bomb disposalexplosives disposalis a specialized
area of hazardous materials response. It is heavily technical and equipment-
oriented. Much like hazmat and very unlike fire suppression, it is generally a slow, carefully orchestrated approach to a hazardous situation, as
opposed to the dynamic attack usually necessitated by fire suppression or
rescue operations.
The other location where the fire service commonly locates bomb disposal is within its investigative services. In this model, the fire investigators are often cross certified as law enforcement officers. Because of the
destructive nature of both fire and explosives, their physical investigations require technical understanding beyond that of other investigative
fields. Further, since most bomb responses will involve criminal incidents,
their investigative expertise ensures a more understanding approach to
the collection of information, and gathering and handling of evidence.
Within law enforcement agencies, functional placement of bomb
squads will usually be found within four locations. Many agencies have
situated their bomb disposal function within the investigative services
area, often under a lesser field such as auto theft. This is often a reflection

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of the demands of the primary assignment. Although an important function, an investigative unit such as auto theft can suspend its routine flow
while the emergency demands of bomb incidents are dealt with.
Traditionally, many bomb squads have been assigned within the criminalistics services of an agency. This is been highly successful placement
for a number of reasons. First, the bomb is an item of physical evidence;
once rendered safe it may well be a treasure trove of forensic clues. Like
a crime scene investigation, a bomb disposal response is less a race with
time (although beat the clock is a serious consideration) and much more a
well thought-out, procedural approach to a problem. Finally, bomb technicians, like practitioners of various criminalistics fields, are technically oriented problem solvers; administratively, it makes their supervision easier
by keeping like minds within the same branches of the organizational tree.
Some teams have long been located under units responsible for organized crime or intelligence organizations; currently, with the enlarging
arena of terror, this is seen more placed here. This has ensured squads
of close investigative support of their operations, a consideration often
shorted or overlooked by many agencies. It also ensures that bomb technicians are in the downstream for sharing of intelligence either developed
by or shared with the agency. It also aids in ensuring a team is supported,
financially and in manpower, as its immediate chain is very cognizant of
the outside threats and capabilities the unit brings to the issue.
A recent trend has been to situate bomb disposal under the tactical
operations of an agency. In this placement, it is important for the structure above bomb disposal to understand one major difference between
bomb response and tactical response; in that bomb response must be a
slow, methodical approach, as opposed to tactical operations which, while
often based upon carefully gathered intelligence and well planned out,
must proceed dynamically to ensure safety and success through surprise.
However, this mating is also very beneficial to both sides of the marriage.
Bomb disposal is almost always responsible for maintenance of explosive
K-9 training aids, storage and sometimes employment of explosive breaching materials, robotic support for many tactical teams, and oversight for
safety and disposal of chemical and distraction agents. Conversely, special weapons and tactics (SWAT) especially comes to a better understanding of bomb disposals unique security needs, and can come to design and
implement security procedures to complement bomb squad responses.
Both benefit from the closer relations as they may train together on incorporating bomb technicians into tactical operations, where a bomb tech
may be an integral part of the entry team, tasked with identifying IEDs

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Bomb Disposal Organization

and booby-traps and establishing safe routes for the SWAT members
mounting an entry.
Every agency employing a bomb disposal unit should develop at least
three agency procedural guidelines regarding bomb-related response.
The first protocol should deal with guidance for an officer responding
to any bomb-related incidentbomb threat, suspicious items, recovery of
explosives or military ordnance, and postblast response. This should outline bomb threat responses, in conjunction with applicable laws, to provide guidance as to behavior on the scene (who decides on evacuation,
where responsibility for search falls, use of explosive K-9 support, mandatory written reports, etc.). Additionally, it should set forth safety protocols
such as limitations on radio and cell phone use, establishment of open
hardline communications, guidelines for safe evacuation procedures, etc.
A second protocol should establish procedures for requesting and
supporting bomb squad response. This should include guidance for
when bomb disposal should be requestedsuspicious devices, military
ordnance, or explosives. It should also establish what actions an officer
should take while awaiting the bomb squads arrivalevacuation and
sheltering considerations, securing the scene, notification of agency superiors, request of support agencies (fire rescue, FBI, ATF), documentation
and reporting of as much as is possible, and establishing a secure working
environment for the bomb squad.
The third area of protocol should describe the bomb squad. Is it a
full-time work or corollary assignment? What are the minimum training requirements necessary before an officer may be called a bomb technician? What constitutes a response while national guidelines require
two certified technicians, a growing number of agencies are using three
or four technician responses. It should also set out other bomb squad
responsibilitiesVIP support, technical support, hazmat support, investigative assignments, equipment maintenance, training requirement, etc. It
should also set forth selection protocols to be used in selecting new members of the team, possibly to include a period of apprenticeship. Basically,
this procedural guideline should lay out the overall organization, competencies, and requirements of the bomb squad and its members.
Development of these standard operating procedures (SOPs) should
include input and review by the bomb squad. Trained, experienced bomb
technicians have considerable exposure to policy, whether in their HDS
training, through other training such as that offered by the DHS National
Consortium, or through attendance at national bomb squad commanders
conferences.

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In addition to agency level SOPs, a bomb squad should maintain

internal operating guidelines. These may require approval from administrative hierarchy, but should only be posted at the unit level. These protocols will deal with the guidelines for technicians as to their operations on
incidents, maintenance issues, training, including internal training, etc.
Americans especially bristle at the imposition of rules. However, a
framework provides guidance and protection for all involved. At the same
time, they should be guidelines, not strict policy statements, giving the
technician the leeway to address situations that deviate from the routine,
or to respond to new challenges in an intelligent and safe manner.

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