COLORADO SPRINGS — On Monday, April 7, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), in collaboration with Fort Carson U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialists and the CSPD bomb squad, hosted bomb squad training sessions at the Colorado Springs Airport.
The sessions were designed to strengthen relationships between agencies and expand information sharing between TSA, the Army, and law enforcement.
“We all have the same mission."
“Working together gives all organizations different perspectives, skills and knowledge of experts in various fields that would be impossible to experience otherwise.”
During one event, Army specialists participated in a simulation of a "real-world bomb hazard at an airport checkpoint."
The EODs had to detect, identify, and defuse the explosives.
Another event focused on familiarizing canines with the "sights, sounds and smells of an active airport." The dogs had to find well-hidden 'training aids' to test their scent detection.
“The exercise provided the CSPD Bomb Squad the opportunity to familiarize themselves and the canine teams with the environment of the airport during operations."
“They were given access to an aircraft so they could see the challenges of operating in a confined space with robots, bomb suits and portable X-rays.”
“The training allowed me to interact with the bomb squad and learn what challenges they might face when responding to an actual IED."
“Now I know what I can do to make their response easier and safer.”
Both trainings lasted four hours, according to TSA, allowing participants to learn and ask questions about each situation.
TSA labeled the training sessions a success, and planning for future exercises is already underway. They say that it could even expand to other types of transportation, including buses, trains, and pipelines.
“There is a saying, ‘practice makes perfect.’”
“The more we as a team can practice and learn from each other, the better we will be at identifying and responding to future threats and protecting the nation.”
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