NYPD Bomb Squad and Hazardous Devices Unit Careers

NYPD Bomb Squad and Hazardous Devices Unit CareersNYPD Bomb Squad and Hazardous Devices Unit CareersThe clock is ticking as you wipe sweat from your brow. Everything is riding on this moment, and the safety and well-being of thousands are literally in your hands. You are the difference maker now in the question of whether death and destruction will prevail or people will go about their lives, perhaps never knowing what you did to protect them and keep them safe as you patiently and deliberately work to diffuse the bomb in front of you. Such is the life of a member of the bomb squad. Okay, maybe thats a little bit of an over dramatization, but that stakes are certainly high, and the job is no stranger to danger. If youve seen ?The Hurt Locker, Speedor Blown Away, youve got a good idea of what Hollywood - and the rest of us - think of when you hear bomb tech. On the positive side, among law enforcement specialty units, the bomb squad folks a place of respect and awe. On the downside, m ovies and television shows play up the drama and suspense to what many bomb techs say is an unrealistic level while failing to capture what it means work as a public safety bomb technician. The History of Bomb Squads in the United States The New York City Police Department created the first law enforcement bomb squad in the United States in 1909. It was headed up by Lt. Giuseppe Petrosino, an Italian-American NYPD detective who had been assigned to investigate Mafia activity in New York. During the period leading up to the formation of the squad, Italian immigrants were being extorted by members of the mafia, most often by means of what we now call improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Petrosino and his squad - then known as the Italian Squad - worked undercover to uncover bombing plots and bring the bombers to justice. In the early years, the bomb squads role was more that of an undercover detective and less about dismantling explosive devices. With the onset of World War I and mass-produced explosive munitions, the need to effectively deal with defective devices meant the need to learn how to make ordnance safe. At the same time, devices with delayed fuses were making their way out of Germany and onto the battlefield, where the predecessors to the militarys Explosive Ordnance Disposal units went to work diffusing them. Now, most medium-sized or larger police department in the U.S employs a bomb squad, usually officially known as the Hazardous Devices kollektiv. What Do Bomb Technicians Do and Where Do They Work? Nearly every moderately-sized city hosts a Hazardous Devices Team. The teamsmay be made upof a task force of police officers, sheriffs deputies, firefighters and federal agents, or it may be entirely housed in a single department. In most cases, especially in smaller areas, jobs with the bomb squad are part-time. That is to say that if you work in the HDT, its your secondary duty, next to patrolling as a police officer, working as a detective or training officer or aleidher job. In such cases, bomb squad members train periodically with their fellow team members and continue to perform their main functions unless called to investigate a suspicious device. Though it may at times be a secondary job, it is an important one, made that much more so by the World Trade Center Bombing of 1993, the Oklahoma City Bombing and the Boston Marathon Bombing. In an article, he penned for PolliceOne.com, former Knox County, Tn. Hazardous Devices Unit member Shawn Hughes states the primary function of police bomb technicians is to locate, diagnose, render safe, and make safe to investigate, bombs. It also involves responding to countless reports of suspicious devices and packages, backpacks left in strange locations, and working closely with another state, local and federal agencies and anti-terrorism task forces. Bomb squad members are subject to call out at any time and may have to travel to assist around their region or the country. In addition, many hazardous device teams are called to remove old military ordnance from places like peoples backyards that, believe it or not, were left and buried by now-defunct military bases and airfields. In fact, such calls are surprisingly common. When not actively on a call, full-time bomb technicians may spend their days training, practicing and even building devices to learn more about how the mind of a bomber may work and how to better respond to suspicious device calls. They also train to identify devices and evidence for crime scene technicians. One thing Hazardous Device Team members try NOT to do, contrary to what the movies tell you, is approaching a device unless they have to. While their techniques and tactics are largely secret, bomb technicians have lots of technology and gear available to them to help them make a device safe without having to get close, including specialized robots that can diffuse devices remotely. What Does It Take to Become a Bomb Squad Memb er? First things first, in most cases you need to become a police officer and spend time working the road and gaining law enforcement experience before you can be selected for a specialty unit like the bomb squad. That will mean completing a police academy, passing a certification exam and getting hired in law enforcement. Most departments require candidates to have - at a minimum - 2 years of experience before they are considered for special units. Typically, as with any law enforcement specialty position, current officers can apply when a position in their department becomes vacant. Sometimes, a candidate that demonstrates qualities the bomb squad is looking for may be asked to join, or they may undergo a selection process, tests, and interviews. Current bomb techs say candidates need to be able tohandle tight spaces, understand and explain difficult concepts and diagrams, and be an effective communicator. You also need to be able to listen to, understand and follow orders with u rgency and immediacy. Candidates who are chosen for the bomb squad train at the FBIs Hazardous Devices School at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. After training, new bomb squad members apprentice with senior teammates to learn the ins and outs of the job. Job Growth and Salary Outlook for Bomb Technicians Theres not typically a high turnover in the bomb squad, as these jobs are often long-term commitments due to the amount of training and expertise required. Retirements and transfers do occur, and as departments continue to evolve in their response to terrorist threats, its quite possible that there will be some expansion of these units, though they will very likely continue to be hard to come by for most. Bomb squad members usually earn the same as the average for police officers in their rank, around $50,000 to $60,000 annually or more. They may also earn on-call pay and hazard pay to supplement their base salary. Is a Career as a Bomb Squad Member Right For You? I f youre the kind of person who likes gadgets and learning how things work, or if you like to tinker and enjoy problem-solving, working as a bomb technician may be the perfect criminology career for you. Its not, however, a career without risks. While certainly, any law enforcement job is inherently dangerous, working as a bomb squad technician comes with some very specific and significant risks, and so it should not be entered into lightly or without due consideration for the dangers involved.