thedrifter
05-14-08, 08:23 AM
Published on Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Lawmen learn lessons from battlefield
By Drew Brooks
Staff writer
Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are constantly adapting to an ever-changing enemy.
The fear that some of the dangers seen by soldiers overseas may one day make their way to the United States has prompted local law enforcement to prepare for such threats.
On Tuesday, lawmen from across the state attended a workshop to learn how to identify and handle roadside bombs, also known as improvised explosive devices or IEDs.
The officers were treated to demonstrations of IED fighting technology, including a robot-mounted tool used to neutralize IEDs and devices used to detect types of dangerous chemicals found within an IED.
Other devices on display allow for better, safer training of officers to deal with IEDs.
Dean Preston with Xplotrain showed off a simulator that replicates the noise and blast of an IED but is safe enough to detonate from the bed of a pickup.
“It psychologically prepares people for battle,” he said.
Another company, Mil-Sim-Fx, demonstrated non-pyro simulators that came in various styles, including a suicide vest that a volunteer tested. When triggered, rubber discs were punctured and released powder from cannisters, re-creating the look and sound of a real suicide bomber.
“It’s very important that we’re prepared,” said 1st Sgt. Ardeen Hunt with the N.C. Highway Patrol.
Hunt said he hoped to pass along knowledge gained from professionals and government officials at the event to other troopers.
“We come in contact daily with vehicles on the highway. There’s a possibility we’ll come upon an explosive device,” he said. “Awareness will increase the safety of the public and law enforcement agencies as well.”
The workshop comes months after President Bush introduced Presidential Directive 19, which requires the Department of Homeland Security to have a domestic IED prevention and mitigation plan.
Charlie Payne, head of the department’s bombing prevention office, was the event’s keynote speaker.
The bombs are the leading killer of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and the bombing at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta in 1996 are examples of isolated IED incidents.
More than 100 people from more than 30 departments attended the event at the Crown Center in conjunction with an annual IED Symposium, according to Jeanne Eury, executive vice president for Lodestar Group, the event’s organizer.
This was the first year the workshop has been paired with the symposium, Eury said.
The symposium attracted officers from across the nation.
Lawmen learned how to identify the bombs and how to protect against them.
They also heard from experts on the bombs and saw examples of equipment used in training and disarming.
“It’s good to see the different specifics of what civilian organizations are thinking,” said Daniel Frawley, an explosive ordnance disposal technician with the Marines. “It helps you to think outside the box.”
Frawley, who returned from active duty in the Middle East in September 2007, said the types of bombs are always changing. He said the challenge was to keep disarming techniques as current as possible.
Staff writer Drew Brooks can be reached at brooksd@fayobserver.com or 486-3567.
Ellie
Lawmen learn lessons from battlefield
By Drew Brooks
Staff writer
Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are constantly adapting to an ever-changing enemy.
The fear that some of the dangers seen by soldiers overseas may one day make their way to the United States has prompted local law enforcement to prepare for such threats.
On Tuesday, lawmen from across the state attended a workshop to learn how to identify and handle roadside bombs, also known as improvised explosive devices or IEDs.
The officers were treated to demonstrations of IED fighting technology, including a robot-mounted tool used to neutralize IEDs and devices used to detect types of dangerous chemicals found within an IED.
Other devices on display allow for better, safer training of officers to deal with IEDs.
Dean Preston with Xplotrain showed off a simulator that replicates the noise and blast of an IED but is safe enough to detonate from the bed of a pickup.
“It psychologically prepares people for battle,” he said.
Another company, Mil-Sim-Fx, demonstrated non-pyro simulators that came in various styles, including a suicide vest that a volunteer tested. When triggered, rubber discs were punctured and released powder from cannisters, re-creating the look and sound of a real suicide bomber.
“It’s very important that we’re prepared,” said 1st Sgt. Ardeen Hunt with the N.C. Highway Patrol.
Hunt said he hoped to pass along knowledge gained from professionals and government officials at the event to other troopers.
“We come in contact daily with vehicles on the highway. There’s a possibility we’ll come upon an explosive device,” he said. “Awareness will increase the safety of the public and law enforcement agencies as well.”
The workshop comes months after President Bush introduced Presidential Directive 19, which requires the Department of Homeland Security to have a domestic IED prevention and mitigation plan.
Charlie Payne, head of the department’s bombing prevention office, was the event’s keynote speaker.
The bombs are the leading killer of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and the bombing at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta in 1996 are examples of isolated IED incidents.
More than 100 people from more than 30 departments attended the event at the Crown Center in conjunction with an annual IED Symposium, according to Jeanne Eury, executive vice president for Lodestar Group, the event’s organizer.
This was the first year the workshop has been paired with the symposium, Eury said.
The symposium attracted officers from across the nation.
Lawmen learned how to identify the bombs and how to protect against them.
They also heard from experts on the bombs and saw examples of equipment used in training and disarming.
“It’s good to see the different specifics of what civilian organizations are thinking,” said Daniel Frawley, an explosive ordnance disposal technician with the Marines. “It helps you to think outside the box.”
Frawley, who returned from active duty in the Middle East in September 2007, said the types of bombs are always changing. He said the challenge was to keep disarming techniques as current as possible.
Staff writer Drew Brooks can be reached at brooksd@fayobserver.com or 486-3567.
Ellie