Areas
Bomb Disposal Team
The University of Georgia Police Bomb Squad exists to provide the University and the surrounding community with safe, timely resolution of bomb threats, suspicious package concerns, and threats from actual hazardous devices. Our primary goal is to protect people from harm related to such threats and concerns. A secondary goal is to minimize the damage to critical infrastructure and property. As a result of a partnership with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the University of Georgia Bomb Squad is now the primary bomb response team for northeast Georgia. The squad is made up of Bomb Technicians, K-9 Handlers, and their explosive detection dogs.
Our Bomb Technicians receive their training at the joint Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and Department of Defense (DOD) Hazardous Devices School in Huntsville, Alabama—the only nationally recognized school of its kind. In addition to receiving their Bomb Technician certification, squad members regularly participate in training classes hosted by other agencies such as the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF), Technical Support Working Group (TSWG), and United States Marine Corps (USMC). In addition to the squad’s primary functions of dealing with explosives detection and disruption, the members are also trained to deal with Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) situations. All of the members of the Bomb Squad are required to be certified HAZMAT technicians.
Each K-9 handler attends a 3- 5 week K-9 Handler Certification School with their dogs in either North Carolina or Texas. They maintain their dog’s accuracy and performance through weekly training and evaluations. In addition to K9 training in Athens, our K-9 teams routinely train with other agencies like the Atlanta Police Department, MARTA Police Department, Gwinnett County Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security.
The Bomb Squad maintains and trains with a multitude of tools and equipment, all of which allow the technicians to do their jobs effectively and safely. Major equipment includes 2 explosive detection canines, a robot, and a state-of-the-art Bomb Response Vehicle. The vehicle is equipped with conventional bomb disposal equipment, the robot, bomb suits, x-ray equipment and hazardous material response gear. The Bomb Response Vehicle, with a purchase price of over $200,000, is one of only six such vehicles in the state. The Bomb Squad, like many other areas of the Police Department, represents a substantial investment of monetary and human capital aimed at making the University community safer.