A regional bomb disposal team is being established on Vancouver Island, say RCMP.
Const. Lane Unger of B.C. RCMP's explosives disposal team told Black PRess Media her unit is a full-time provincial team that handles bomb-related situations. The unit deals with criminal explosives, commercial explosive fines, explosive force entry, and other types of chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear explosive response.
"This is kind of special for us today, because we are starting to regionalize, and I am located on the Island 鈥� all the equipment here [is] on the Island."
A timeline has not been established, but having an Island-based bomb disposal team will be more convenient as ferry travel will be eliminated, allowing for quicker response.
One of the pieces of equipment the unit uses is an ICOR Technology bomb disposal robot. The robot has cameras and officers can speak and listen through it, allowing them to do their job from a distance, Unger said.
"It can shoot, essentially, a water projectile at an object that I would need to either take a precision shot on or disrupt鈥�" she said. "If it's an explosive then I can take the pieces apart with the robot, by shooting it and or by using the claw, which articulates fully to be able to move things, grab things, open doors; it can climb up stairs."
The explosives disposal unit was one of the attractions at a Nanaimo RCMP open house event Saturday, May 10, outside the detachment building. Community members had a chance to learn about police, procedures, and vehicles and equipment.
