Currently EMRTC is developing a course for Public Safety Bomb Technicians (PSBTs) who may encounter military ordnance during their involvement in incident response or crime scene investigation. Course participants will receive training focused on identifying military ordnance.
The Military Ordnance Recognition for Public Safety Bomb Technicians (MOR-PSBT) course is a residential course that will be taught at the Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center (EMRTC) at New Mexico Tech. A pilot version of the course is scheduled for later this month. EMRTC is working with the National Bomb Squad Commanders Advisory Board (NBSCAB), who requested this training be developed.
Through both classroom training and field labs, MOR-PSBT participants will gain the knowledge and skills to identify the characteristics and hazards associated with military ordnance threats. They will also better understand the role PSBTs and DOD EOD play in protecting civilian personnel and property.
Such training can then allow them to safely apply measures to mitigate threats in their communities. Course lectures will include information on military ordnance fuzing and firing types and functions, along with their associated safety precautions. PSBTs will participate in hands-on activities identifying ordnance items and explosive components characteristics and hazards. Practical case study exercises based on historic military ordnance incidents will engage and challenge PSBT operators.
The MOR-PSBT course also overviews standardized incident reporting within the ATF Bomb and Arson Tracking System (BATS) as part of their mission response cycle. As an added benefit to the PSBT organizations, MOR-PSBT graduates will have the requisite knowledge to provide basic military ordnance hazard awareness training to their Public Safety organization staff.
