Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Law Enforcement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
FBI bomb technician outlines training, use of robots and motivations for the job
Summary
A Special Agent Bomb Technician with the Federal Bureau of Investigation described the six-week Hazard Devices School certification, the planning and safety mindset used when approaching explosive devices, and how robots have reduced risk; the technician also urged prospective candidates to consider the career.
A Special Agent Bomb Technician with the Federal Bureau of Investigation described the intensive training, decision-making and tools that prepare technicians to respond to explosive devices, saying, "there's definitely days that you say to yourself, like, this is pretty freaking cool."
The agent said the pathway to the position includes selection into the SABT program and completion of a certification course at the Hazard Devices School. "A Special Agent Bomb Tech is someone who has been selected to enter the SABT program," the agent said, adding trainees "have gone to the Hazard Devices School for a six-week certification course" and must demonstrate they can perform the job of a bomb technician.
The technician described the mindset and planning that go into each response. While donning a bomb suit, the agent said, they "think 2, 3 steps ahead," plan what tools to bring and consider what they might encounter, taking "corrective actions to keep the public and yourself safe from this device." The agent emphasized avoiding fixation on the device itself, saying, "You try not to think about, the fact that you're, staring a bomb in the face."
On technology, the agent said robots have materially improved safety: "Robots have made our job safer." According to the agent, some robots serve as surveillance platforms to examine suspicious items such as backpacks or coolers, while other robotic systems can take action on a device.
Reflecting on career experience, the technician said they have deployed both domestically and internationally on behalf of the FBI and estimated encountering "probably in the thousands" of devices during their career. The agent urged prospective candidates to consider the role, calling it "a very rewarding career" that would take them to places they might not otherwise see and "afford you world class training to be able to help our country out and, make sure that our country stays safe."
The remarks are a first-person account of the job's demands and rewards from a practitioner in the field, focused on training, operational planning, technology and public-safety priorities.
