(Ian Vabneck) Red Ops is the DHS SNT arm for
response and defeat of IEDs and what they're doing
is funding
research and development of technology
at the request of public safety first responder community,
that deals with IEDs
particularly, the bomb squads.
There's a lot of bomb squad commanders
and bomb technicians out there in the country
that actually have great ideas, they just
don't have the funding and the resources to back it.
(Ian Vabneck) The bomb technician field
is a very dangerous field.
Obviously, you are working with
improvised explosive devices,
and as a result, you're only a few feet from an IED.
So obviously, if something goes wrong,
they're probably not going to go home.
Technology advances so quickly
in this environment,
therefore state and local bomb squads
don't have the money to keep up
new R and D or technology.
Red Ops is involved with the state and local
bomb squad through the
National Bomb Squad Commander's Advisory Board
and also the First Responder's Resource Group.
And through there, we have
direct communication with the representatives
from different bomb squads from across the country,
and we solicit requirements from them.
(Ian Vabneck) Red Ops has worked very closely with the FBI
Counter-ID Units. We've been working
with them on a pipe bomb
defeat procedure that is three times faster,
and more reliable in many respects,
to the current standard methods used.
Ranging from Portland to New York to Kansas City
we've had several bomb squads actually use
the new method to successfully defeat IEDs nationwide.
(Frantz) The partnership with the FBI is extremely important.
They are in charge of the hazardous device school,
and all the state and local bomb techs
gets certified through that school.
(Ian Vabneck) In addition to that, we work with the FBI,
in characterization and development,
of laminated glass portal charge.
(Tom Sharkey) So the window laminate charge,
will cut a nice rectangle or square
out for the bomb technician to gain access
and put a camera in there,
do the diagnostics.
(Frantz) Any capabilities and technologies
that we develop that's formally accepted
by the FBI, is taught at the school house
so that the state and local bomb squads
can get trained on that capability.
(Ian Vabneck) Another project is a shock tube dispenser.
A shock tube is an explosive material used by
bomb squads, and it's usually very challenging
to deploy
(Tom Sharkey) One of our biggest concerns with shock tube
is aligning it and it getting tangled up.
So this one technician up in New Jersey State Police
came up with this wonderful idea and
DHS SNT basically took that idea, funded it,
and developed the tools for state level bomb squads
to be able to purchase that.
(Ian Vabneck) I find that the feedback is very positive
in regards what Red Ops is doing.
The bomb technicians, really appreciate the fact
that DHS is focusing on their needs.
(Frantz) We have received calls from many
bomb squads asking to participate in the
First Responder Resource Group,
and a lot of bomb squads offering to conduct
operational assessments for any other technologies
that we select.
(Tom Sharkey) Bomb technicians have great ideas.
There are so many smart technicians
who just think outside the box.
Red Ops will take those ideas and work with them,
develop technology into the field,
and before you know it,
this stuff is developed for the state and local
bomb squads to use.