Bomb Squad

The Atlantic City Police Department's Bomb Squad began under the direction of Police Chief Mario Floriani in 1976. Captain Frank Stites was the 1st officer in all of South Jersey to be trained at the FBI's Hazardous Device School in Redstone Arsenal, at Huntsville, Alabama. Captain Stites without fanfare and at considerable personal risk rendered safe a number of homemade explosive devices over two years.

In early 1978, with the advent of casino gaming, the late Chief William tenBrink, petitioned the FBI to train additional officers to handle the projected increase in bombing emergencies. As such, Captain Joseph Connelly was trained in the basics, and with the help of a few area merchants, some simple tools were donated. At that time the Bomb Technician responded to a suspected explosive device with a cigar box full of tools and a hank of rope. Bomb Technicians were young and foolish in those days, and admittedly in retrospect reached well beyond their capabilities in the mistaken belief that training alone would see them through.

In early 1980, as casinos and incidents were increasing, a bond issue was floated and $35,000 was earmarked for the Bomb Squad equipment. With that money a truck, explosive containment trailer, x-ray, and some hand tools were purchased. In addition, two more officers were trained. Along with those advances an Explosive Detection K-9 program was started. This program later became a model for similar K-9 programs nation wide.

In late August of 1980, a disgruntled gambler planted the most sophisticated explosive device ever encountered by anyone, at the Harrahs Casino/Hotel in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The device had dozens of switches, both time delay and anti disturbance, with an explosive charge of over 700 pounds. The resulting detonation caused $75 million in damage, but thankfully no loss of life. This incident focused attention on our situation here in Atlantic City. An increased awareness of our vulnerability to serious attack with the possibility of loss of life increased our determination to expand our knowledge and capability, to protect the industry.

Over the years, the Bomb Squad has responded to hundreds of calls for service. Explosive devices of all levels of sophistication have been encountered and rendered safe, including: 100 lbs. of Klu Klux Klan dynamite earmarked for hate crimes, 28 electric initiated bombs in the possession of a deranged College Professor, an individual in the process of building an anti-tank launcher and grenades, and a hate crime where a Pharmacist made a booby trapped device that was designed to kill an entire family at the dinner table, just to list a few.

We have been pleased to be able to provide explosive countermeasure training to literally thousands of Law Enforcement Officers at all levels of government, and carry out an active training program with Casino/Security personal. Since 1980, we have developed and have had published in the international venue, numerous technical papers concerning Bomb Threat Response, Tactical Considerations, and Equipment Development. Two of our Technicians as well as the whole Squad have been recipients of Distinguish Service Awards and Valor Awards by the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators, and the 200 Club.

Our Explosive Detection K-9 teams over the past 16 years have been requested for duty by the United States Secret Service, FBI, State Department, Customs, FAA, BATF, US Postal Service, New Jersey State Police, and many other Law Enforcement agencies. Our teams have been selected by the FBI's Terrorist Task Force on numerous occasions to provide both overt and covert searches for explosives. Most notably, the Achillie Lauro Hostage Incident, the Statue of Liberty Celebration, and just recently the only Bomb Squad on the East Coast to be selected to participate in the 2002 Winter Olympics.

At present the Bomb Squad comes under the administrative command of the Operation Division commanded by Deputy Chief Ernest Jubilee. We currently have 4 trained technicians, Captain Richard T. Halvorson,Officer "Buddy" Brubaker, Sergeant Richard T. Halvorson III, and Officer Joseph J. Falcone. In addition, at the present time we have 4 trained Explosive Detection K-9 Handlers, Sgt. Gregory Vandenberg, Det. Michael Kerley, K-9 Officer Michael Knight, and K-9 Officer Eugene Maier. All of the members of the unit perform other primary duties within the department, and are on call 24-hour callback status.

As with any other specialized unit in the department, the Bomb Squad operates in support of the Uniform Patrol Division. It is those officers who more often than not are the 1st on scene, and carry out the difficult and sometimes dangerous functions of evacuation, searching an area for an explosive device, recognition of explosives, securing and protecting the crime scent and perimeter. Without these Officers, who are the backbone of this department, the job couldn't be done.

You have never lived till you have almost died
For those of us who fight for it
Life has a flavor the protected will never know

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