A $50,000 social investment from Chevron will allow the Carlsbad Police Department to form a Bomb Squad, Carlsbad Mayor Janway has announced. Donations from the Mosaic Company, ConocoPhillips and the local COPS organization (Citizens Offering Police Support) will also ensure that the necessary funding for the project is available.
“Chevron and all of our sponsors on this project are assisting the community with making improvements that will protect the lives of our citizens,” Janway said. “We very sincerely appreciate this generous contribution.”
Shane Skinner, Carlsbad Police Chief, said the mission of the Bomb Squad will be to safely provide final disposition for improvised explosive devices, military ordinance, commercial explosives and illegal fireworks.
The unit will be composed of two FBI certified bomb technicians who will have to receive special certification and receive new training on a regular basis to keep up with new technological developments. Equipment needed will include a response vehicle, bomb suit, cooling suit, X-Ray system, bomb squad robot and other materials. Bomb squad members may also have to assist the SWAT team with explosive breaching and provide training to local businesses and schools.
Because the City does not currently have a Bomb Squad unit, Skinner explained, the department’s response to a perceived bomb threat has been to simply block off the area and wait for a unit from out of town to arrive. Skinner said the creation of the program has been a high priority of his since he became police chief. The creation of a Carlsbad unit will greatly reduce response time and also allow the City to assist with other potential risks around town.
Skinner also clarified that a bomb scare isn’t always the result of a deliberate act – potentially explosive situations are also often created due to accidents or negligence.