Creative problem solving is the core of the Montgomery
County Sheriff’s Bomb Unit training
By Teresa W. Harris, Publication Information Assistant, MCSO
The more problems you solve, the better you get at solving problems. While most are criticized for creating their own problems, the Montgomery County Bomb Unit went on a quest to do just that. During their monthly in-service trainings, the Unit consistently engages in creative problem solving on an average of 16 hours per month for each bomb technician, in order to better prepare themselves for any number of dangerous situations that may arise.
Arcadia University’s Crime Scene House
Lt. Allen Stewart had led his bomb team through four different training exercises on Arcadia University’s campus prior to this training. But, this was the first time the Bomb Unit tried out some new schemes using Arcadia University’s “Crime Scene House.” The small three-story home across the street from the main campus is part of the college’s Criminal Justice, Global Security & Emergency Management and Forensic Science Programs where students can get hands on experience researching crime scenes.
The first exercise of the day was a multi-agency K9 explosive detection exercise. Whitemarsh Township Officer Matthew Stadulis and K9 Brock; Abington Township Officer Jennifer Doyle and K9 Bella; Montgomery Township Officer Joe McGuigan and K9 Cody; and University of Pennsylvania Police Department Officer Julie Wesley and K9 Socks all took turns sniffing their way through each room of the house in an effort to find different explosive devices and chemicals that had been planted in various spots. Handlers led their eager K9 partners along walls and underneath furniture, up staircases and, inside bathrooms and kitchens, with each dog getting a big “Whoop!”, and a toy treat for a “find.” This exercise helped the Bomb Unit and K9 Units observe each dog’s behavior and effectiveness, and to determine what obstacles may have prevented their success.
Robot rescue.
A second staged scenario unfolded behind the Crime Scene House involving the testing of a special design sled-like “sked” made of thick orange plastic. A bomb technician had fallen and injured himself while inspecting a suspicious package at the bottom of an embankment. Two additional bomb technicians rushed in to load and secure the victim onto a special design sled like “sked”, where he was pulled uphill on the sked by the bomb techs and then dragged across the parking lot to safety by a 180 lb. ICOR CALIBER controlled by a remote bomb tech operator. The uninjured bomb techs then returned to the scene to x-ray and render safe the package. Groups of three bomb techs took turns practicing rescue missions using the sked wearing 80lbs of body armor in 88 degree weather. Being dumped on with freezing cold water and ice doesn’t seem like such a bad idea after all, eh? The Unit learned that the robot was only able to drag the body along a level surface. It would have been unable to get the victim uphill due to the angle of the incline and the lack of the ability to gain enough traction without rolling over.
"Open sesame!”
The last exercise of the day tested the robot’s ability to open the front door of the Crime Scene House to let itself in, then climb the stairs for a search. This particular test relied heavily on the keen abilities of the remote robot operator’s skill in controlling small and precise movements. Coached by other members of the bomb unit using the robot’s speaker communications, one of the bomb technicians was able to get the robot to approach the door, reach its arm out to grab the door handle and then turn it to open the door! Once the robot crossed the threshold, it attempted to climb the stairs. It struggled at the second step where it got a little help from the MCSO Bomb Unit team to get to the landing of the second floor. The team used “wheelie” bars on the back of the robot to keep it from tipping over backwards on the way up. The robot then started down the stairway with the “wheelie” bars at the front this time, to avoid rolling over. With guidance, the robot mostly slid down the stairs until making a safe landing at the bottom. Mission accomplished! But the same lesson was learned from the previous exercise. Though it gave its best efforts, the robot is not a good climber. In real life situations where lives are at stake, no one wants to fail. But in training, sometimes failure is the best teacher.
By Teresa W. Harris, Publication Information Assistant, MCSO
The more problems you solve, the better you get at solving problems. While most are criticized for creating their own problems, the Montgomery County Bomb Unit went on a quest to do just that. During their monthly in-service trainings, the Unit consistently engages in creative problem solving on an average of 16 hours per month for each bomb technician, in order to better prepare themselves for any number of dangerous situations that may arise.
Arcadia University’s Crime Scene House
Lt. Allen Stewart had led his bomb team through four different training exercises on Arcadia University’s campus prior to this training. But, this was the first time the Bomb Unit tried out some new schemes using Arcadia University’s “Crime Scene House.” The small three-story home across the street from the main campus is part of the college’s Criminal Justice, Global Security & Emergency Management and Forensic Science Programs where students can get hands on experience researching crime scenes.
The first exercise of the day was a multi-agency K9 explosive detection exercise. Whitemarsh Township Officer Matthew Stadulis and K9 Brock; Abington Township Officer Jennifer Doyle and K9 Bella; Montgomery Township Officer Joe McGuigan and K9 Cody; and University of Pennsylvania Police Department Officer Julie Wesley and K9 Socks all took turns sniffing their way through each room of the house in an effort to find different explosive devices and chemicals that had been planted in various spots. Handlers led their eager K9 partners along walls and underneath furniture, up staircases and, inside bathrooms and kitchens, with each dog getting a big “Whoop!”, and a toy treat for a “find.” This exercise helped the Bomb Unit and K9 Units observe each dog’s behavior and effectiveness, and to determine what obstacles may have prevented their success.
Robot rescue.
A second staged scenario unfolded behind the Crime Scene House involving the testing of a special design sled-like “sked” made of thick orange plastic. A bomb technician had fallen and injured himself while inspecting a suspicious package at the bottom of an embankment. Two additional bomb technicians rushed in to load and secure the victim onto a special design sled like “sked”, where he was pulled uphill on the sked by the bomb techs and then dragged across the parking lot to safety by a 180 lb. ICOR CALIBER controlled by a remote bomb tech operator. The uninjured bomb techs then returned to the scene to x-ray and render safe the package. Groups of three bomb techs took turns practicing rescue missions using the sked wearing 80lbs of body armor in 88 degree weather. Being dumped on with freezing cold water and ice doesn’t seem like such a bad idea after all, eh? The Unit learned that the robot was only able to drag the body along a level surface. It would have been unable to get the victim uphill due to the angle of the incline and the lack of the ability to gain enough traction without rolling over.
"Open sesame!”
The last exercise of the day tested the robot’s ability to open the front door of the Crime Scene House to let itself in, then climb the stairs for a search. This particular test relied heavily on the keen abilities of the remote robot operator’s skill in controlling small and precise movements. Coached by other members of the bomb unit using the robot’s speaker communications, one of the bomb technicians was able to get the robot to approach the door, reach its arm out to grab the door handle and then turn it to open the door! Once the robot crossed the threshold, it attempted to climb the stairs. It struggled at the second step where it got a little help from the MCSO Bomb Unit team to get to the landing of the second floor. The team used “wheelie” bars on the back of the robot to keep it from tipping over backwards on the way up. The robot then started down the stairway with the “wheelie” bars at the front this time, to avoid rolling over. With guidance, the robot mostly slid down the stairs until making a safe landing at the bottom. Mission accomplished! But the same lesson was learned from the previous exercise. Though it gave its best efforts, the robot is not a good climber. In real life situations where lives are at stake, no one wants to fail. But in training, sometimes failure is the best teacher.