CSPD Bomb Squad Busy Dealing With Homemade Explosives

It has been a dangerous month for the Colorado Springs Police Department Explosives Unit. There have been as many explosives incidents in the last couple of weeks, as they usually get in an entire month.

There are only 14 members of the Explosives Unit, which people sometimes refer to as the CSPD Bomb Squad. “In the bomb suits, you have some ballistic protection, fire protection, and armor plating,” said Officer Dan Carter of the CSPD Bomb Squad.

The squad keeps five counties safe from explosive devices. One of their biggest fears is a growing number of homemade explosives. “Someone calls us with a suspicious package. We don’t know what’s in it or how stable it is. We don’t know anything about how sensitive these chemicals might be. That is when it becomes very dangerous for us,” said Officer Bill Betts, Regional Explosives Coordinator for the CSPD Bomb Squad.

CSPD is also concerned about an increase in the number of amateur bomb makers. “Obviously the information is a lot easier to find with the internet being so predominant. That information, however, isn’t always reliable. Any time someone is making their own explosives, we don’t know exactly how they are making it. It is very unstable,” said Betts.

“You are so focused on what you’re doing that you are not really thinking about how it could blow up on you. If we make a mistake dealing with explosives and bombs then bad things happen,” said Officer Carter.

Carter has to practice 16 hours a month. “This isn’t a job where you can be rusty. You have to be perfect all the time,” he said.

He has to be able to identify what’s in a homemade explosive device, and figure out the best way to get rid of it. He has to do that, in order to make sure that he and the public are not hurt in an explosion.

“There’s some videos floating around out there of bomb techs being blown up, and obviously you don’t want to be one of them,” said Carter.

Initial training for the Explosives Unit is in Alabama. Training takes about six weeks and is federally funded.