Bomb Squad Goes Wireless
By: Jackie Smith
Updated: November 18, 2010
MIDLAND -- The Midland bomb squad is going wireless.
Their robot is no longer going to run over fire wires and get in the way.
Instead, its going to do its job better, which is saving lives.
The main thing these men wanted to stress, is they're ready for any situation that involves a bomb or not.
They told me they just want to make sure things don't blown up.
Officer Dylan Hale has one important thing on his to-do-list.
"Our job is to make things unblowupable," said Hale.
And with this new technology he is able to do just that.
"Our new wireless capabalities we have with our robot. Before we had a chord system, with the new wireless technology we could do all of our video and audio feeds, its a clearer picture, so we can do our job better," said Hale.
Their job is important.
They constantly put themseleves in the face of danger.
They have to wear 80 pound suits that takes almost a half hour to put on. but its worth it because,
"Anything that occurs when something explodes, that's what it protects you from," said Hale.
The suit and the robot are not just used for bomb dismantling.
"Robot is a regional resource, we can help with a swat team," said Hale.
The robot also comes in handy when dealing with unstable people.
"People who are in some critical incident would prefer to talk to the robot. We look at that as an opportunity to improvise and help overcome the situation," said Hale.
Believe it or not, it also aids in border control.
"The main thing to look at is the mobility of explosive devices it's not landlocked, it can come over the border like fruits, vegetables, and dope," said Hale.
As threats of national security come in daily too the United States.
Hale say's his team is ready,
"On the national scene there are people who want to hurt Americans. Using an explosive device gets their message across in a loud way. You can't get the suit on by yourself and you can't resolve the problem by yourself its a team effort," said Hale.
Now the people on the bomb squad in Midland, do this voluntarily.
They spend over 16 hours a month training and updating their equipment.
He told me anyone can be part of the bomb squad, but just make sure you are not claustrophobic because the suit can make a person feel disoriented.
Their robot is no longer going to run over fire wires and get in the way.
Instead, its going to do its job better, which is saving lives.
The main thing these men wanted to stress, is they're ready for any situation that involves a bomb or not.
They told me they just want to make sure things don't blown up.
Officer Dylan Hale has one important thing on his to-do-list.
"Our job is to make things unblowupable," said Hale.
And with this new technology he is able to do just that.
"Our new wireless capabalities we have with our robot. Before we had a chord system, with the new wireless technology we could do all of our video and audio feeds, its a clearer picture, so we can do our job better," said Hale.
Their job is important.
They constantly put themseleves in the face of danger.
They have to wear 80 pound suits that takes almost a half hour to put on. but its worth it because,
"Anything that occurs when something explodes, that's what it protects you from," said Hale.
The suit and the robot are not just used for bomb dismantling.
"Robot is a regional resource, we can help with a swat team," said Hale.
The robot also comes in handy when dealing with unstable people.
"People who are in some critical incident would prefer to talk to the robot. We look at that as an opportunity to improvise and help overcome the situation," said Hale.
Believe it or not, it also aids in border control.
"The main thing to look at is the mobility of explosive devices it's not landlocked, it can come over the border like fruits, vegetables, and dope," said Hale.
As threats of national security come in daily too the United States.
Hale say's his team is ready,
"On the national scene there are people who want to hurt Americans. Using an explosive device gets their message across in a loud way. You can't get the suit on by yourself and you can't resolve the problem by yourself its a team effort," said Hale.
Now the people on the bomb squad in Midland, do this voluntarily.
They spend over 16 hours a month training and updating their equipment.
He told me anyone can be part of the bomb squad, but just make sure you are not claustrophobic because the suit can make a person feel disoriented.
