MSA’s Bomb Technicians in our Emergency Operations Center are all graduates of the FBI’s Hazardous Devices School and members of the IABTI… but what exactly does this mean?
X-ray screeners are an invaluable asset at entry checkpoints, in a business’ mailrooms, at shipping centers, and many other locations where X-ray machines are employed. But when a questionable item comes through the machine, it can often take a greater amount of training and experience to adequately determine whether or not that item is an immediate threat.
MSA’s Bomb Technicians provide that experience. All are veteran members of the law enforcement or the military with at least five years of specialized experience in a certified Bomb Squad. They are graduates of the FBI’s Hazardous Devices School and members of the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators.
The Hazardous Devices School
Over 1,000 Bomb Technicians from Police Departments around the country arrive at the school in Huntsville Alabama for training and certification at the Hazardous Devices School every year. Founded in 1971, the HDS is the only accredited Federal certifying agency for bomb technicians in existence. For many years it was jointly funded and operated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the U.S. Army Ordnance Munitions and Electronics Maintenance School. Recently, it has transitioned and is completely run and managed by the FBI.
Students of the Hazardous Devices School spend 6 weeks learning…
The 455-acre state-of-the-art facility includes 14 “villages” which can be configured into realistic training environments. Training scenarios include commercial areas, transportation hubs, rural, suburban, and urban areas, apartment buildings, banks, schools, and much more. Bomb Techs repeat this training every three years to retain their certification.
The International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators
MSA’s Bomb Technicians are also members of the International Association of Bomb
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“The underlying belief of the IABTI is that individuals and organizations can more effectively combat terrorism and criminal activities by uniting their efforts.” |
Technicians and Investigators (IABTI), an internationally recognized professional organization that fosters knowledge, cooperation, and development of the profession. With 5,000 members, the organization is highly reputed for the dissemination of information and training on explosive devices.
The IABTI publishes the bi-monthly member magazine, The Detonator. The magazine provides technical information, explosive incident case reviews, bulletins, and advertisements for explosive incident related tools and technology.
The organization also conducts regular regional and international training conferences. MSA’s bomb techs regularly attend, and are frequently guest speakers. This year, MSA’s Senior Vice President of Operations, Joseph D’Amico, is scheduled to speak at the Region IV/V in-service training in Long Branch, New Jersey. Through active engagement with professional associations such as the IABTI, MSA’s bomb techs stay informed and engaged on the latest threats in the explosives arena.
As the threat of improvised explosive devices, and terrorist tactics and tradecraft evolve, it is more important than ever for our law enforcement and security personnel to stay ahead. MSA clients can rest assured that our Bomb Techs and all subject matter experts work tirelessly to maintain and strengthen their expertise in an ever changing world.