Illinois Secretary of State Bomb Squad Receives Re-Accreditation
| FBI Springfield February 04, 2010 |
Stuart R. McArthur, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Springfield Division, announced today the re-accreditation of the Illinois Secretary of State Bomb Squad. The squad is one of 470 nationally accredited public safety bomb squads in the United States and one of 12 squads in the State of Illinois.
The accreditation is provided by the FBI’s Hazardous Device Operations Center (HDOC) in Quantico, Virginia. This unit provides the training and oversight for all of the accredited bomb squads in the United States. HDOC funds the training and certifies all bomb technicians pursuant to nationally recognized standards. HDOC also facilitates technical intelligence sharing and provides equipment and resources to local jurisdictions to enhance their capability to respond to bombing incidents and terrorist threats involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs). All of the Secretary of State Bomb Squad bomb technicians are nationally certified to standards promulgated by the National Bomb Squad Commanders Advisory Board (NBSCAB) and are thereafter certified by the FBI. All bomb technicians are required to re-certify every three years at the FBI’s Hazardous Devices School (HDS) located on Redstone Arsenal at Huntsville, Alabama. The bomb squad accreditation is valid for a period of five years and verifies that bomb squad safety equipment, such as state-of-the-art robots and X-Ray systems, are in their equipment inventory and that there are certified technicians available for bomb response.
The Springfield Division of the FBI has formed a partnership with several law enforcement agencies within Central and Southern Illinois, to enhance the multi-jurisdictional response capability of Illinois Bomb Squads. As society becomes more global, the threats facing our communities are less restricted by jurisdictional boundaries. Law enforcement must be proactive in maintaining the ability to counter those threats.
In an effort to enhance public safety and our ability to respond to threats posed by improvised explosive devices, and other weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the FBI joined forces, in 2006, with the Secretary of State Bomb Squad. The Illinois law enforcement agencies who participate in this partnership include:
- FBI, Springfield Division;
- Illinois Secretary of State Police Bomb Squad;
- Peoria Police Bomb Squad;
- Quad Cities Bomb Squad;
- SIUC and the Carbondale Police Department Bomb Squad;
- University of Illinois/Champaign Police Bomb Squad.
By sharing resources, expertise, and training opportunities, law enforcement in Illinois will be better equipped to respond effectively and efficiently to WMD threats. The Springfield FBI field office appreciates the partnership with the Secretary of State and congratulates this agency on the re-accreditation of their bomb squad.
SAC Stuart McArthur (left) and Illinois Secretary of State Jessie White
Jessie White, Illinois Secretary of State
SAC McArthur (left) and Illinois Secretary of State Jessie White
Left to right: Brad Demuzio, Director Illinois Secretary of State Police;
SAC Stuart McArthur; Illinois Secretary of State Jessie White.