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Douglas County approves DHS-funded bomb truck and Andros Spartan robot after demonstration and public questions
Summary
Commissioners accepted Department of Homeland Security Urban Area Security Initiative awards that will fund an Andros Spartan robot and a bomb-response vehicle; the county will provide a $60,000 match for the truck. Presenters described remote x‑ray capability and robotic disruption tools; votes were unanimous.
The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners voted July 8 to accept Department of Homeland Security, North Central Region Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) awards for explosive-ordnance-disposal equipment: a bomb-response vehicle (a "bomb truck") with a $60,000 local match and an Andros Spartan robot.
Deputy Daniel Carlin and Detective Ryan White presented for the Douglas County Bomb Squad. Detective White said the new bomb truck will be a compact, response vehicle that improves access in tight neighborhoods; funding includes UASI grant money and a $60,000 matching contribution from the county. "This is just an image of the truck that we will be purchasing... Once everything is finalized through USC, it'll be a 500 day build..." he said.
Deputy Carlin and Detective White also described the recently acquired Andros Spartan robot, paid with UASI funds. They showed a short video of a response where the robot remotely moved an unstable dynamite cache into a prepared hole for detonation. Deputy Carlin said the robot enabled fully remote handling where older equipment would have risked staff safety.
Detective White explained the robot's field capabilities for school and other responses: it carries an x-ray source that gives a live image to the team tablet and can fire a remote water disruption shot to neutralize initiation features. "We have the ability to take x rays inside the school and do it remotely," he said.
A county official noted the county receives roughly one bomb-squad call per week, including hoaxes and confirmed devices. Public commenters asked about oversight and urged preventative investments in threat-prevention and domestic-violent-extremism prevention programs. Eiko Browning, a Highland Ranch resident, called for prevention-focused, cost-effective measures and asked commissioners to consider preventive programming.
Motions to accept the bomb-response vehicle (matching funds $60,000) and to accept the Andros Spartan vehicle (amount recorded by staff: $365,476) were each moved, seconded and carried unanimously. No individual roll-call tallies were read aloud at the time of the vote.
