Know the bomb disposal squad better...

Bangalore, Jul 29: Hoax bomb calls has been the order of the day for a time now. Phones ringing endlessly and all of a sudden there are numerous places to go for the members of the Bomb disposal squad. 3 days after the serial blasts that rocked Bangalore, the threat has not died down. An edge of pnic prevails the atmosphere. At this juncture, it will be interesting to get to know how the bomb disposal squad works. What is the work of the dogs and how the bomb disposal is carried on??? One of the members, who was involved in defusing the live bomb traced near Madiwala check post on Saturday, July 26 explains the process.

"The team leaves for the spot as soon as it receives the news along with the dog squad. The sniffer dogs nose out the bomb, while the squad members carry certain equipment to defuse the bomb. A portable x-ray machine is first used to check the contents of the object followed by a stethoscope to check its ticking. Then, the squad members cover the bomb with a blanket made from special fibre, which would limit the effect of the explosion which follows the usage of a trolley to move the bomb to an open area," he said. These operations however will be faster on occasions where there is very little time. There, a suited squad member covers the bomb with the blanket and defuses it by disconnecting the timer device.

See in pics: Ahmedabad, Bangalore blasts

The squad members carry Hand Framed Metal Detector which gives out a long beep when it comes into contact with the bomb. Sniffer dogs used to detect crimes are different from the ones engaged to detect bombs.

These dogs are trained to bark when they trace an explosive which alerts the sleuths. Once the bomb is detected, the wire is disconnected and the bomb defused. However, if the bomb squad needs time to get to a spot, the police put several sand bags around the bomb to reduce the intensity, should it explode.

What is bomb disposal squad?

Bomb disposal is the process by which hazardous explosive devices are de-activated by disconnecting a wire. In India, this squad is a technically equipped section of criminal investigation department having trained police personnel for bomb and explosive detection and deactivation. This section is under direct supervision of a deputy superintendent of police and headed by an inspector of police.

Bomb Disposal became a formalised field during World War I.

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