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A bomb technician typically does not wear his or her suit for more than 30 or 40 minutes. How does the hefty gear go to work in that short—but pensive—window of time? Chris Cowan, a retired bomb squad com- mander for the Winnebago County (Ill.) Sheriff 's Department and current techni- cal training representative with Med-Eng, a brand of the Safariland Group, has suited up on a few occasions over the course of his 23-year career. He remembers well the adrenaline rush of detonation, the lurk- ing danger, and the necessary tools for going in and getting out unscathed. "Many years ago, early in my career, I was approached by the bomb squad commander who asked if I had any interest in join- ing his team," says Cowan. "I didn't have any military explo- sive ordnance disposal (EOD) experience, but he said that didn't matter because I would get plenty of training. He was right, and the training I've had over the years has been priceless." Heading out On one occasion Cowan and two other technicians were called to a motorcycle gang clubhouse where a rival gang had placed a 10-pound IED (improvised explosive device) at the rear doorstep. "I was standing approximately 10 to 12 feet away and wearing a suit. It was due to the suit that I…required a trip to the hospital rather than the morgue," he says. Reports of possible IEDs are often com- mon in areas of high-crime/high gang activity. "The area may be confined indoors or con- gested with garbage and obstacles outdoors, making it impossible to use the robot or other tools. This is when it becomes necessary to send a highly trained bomb disposal techni- cian, in a suit, to make an approach and evalu- ate the situation." After the area is secured and citizens are evacuated from the danger zone, well- equipped officers go to work identifying what type of device he or she is dealing with and developing a course of action. The goal 9 EQUIPPING THE OFFICER What do suits protect against? The bomb suit is designed to provide a high level of protection against the four main classifications of blast injuries: ■ Primary Blast Injury/Overpressure—Primary injuries result from the impact of the over-pressurization wave with body surfaces. Gas-filled body structures (lungs, GI tract and middle ear) are most affected. ■ Secondary Blast Injury/Fragmentation—Results from flying debris and bomb fragments, penetrating eyes and any other body part. ■ Tertiary Blast Injury/Impact—Results from individuals being thrown by the blast wind, and/or structural collapse. Injuries could include fracture and traumatic amputation, closed and open brain injury. ■ Quaternary Blast Injury/Heat—Refers to all explosion-related injuries, illnesses or disease not due to primary, secondary or tertiary means. A quarternary injury could be caused by the explosive fireball, gases, and toxic inhalants; and includes exacerbation or complications of existing conditions Center for Disease Control and Prevention www.bt.cdc.gov/masscasualties/explosions.asp www.officer.com June 2014 Law Enforcement Technology On one occasion Cowan and two other technicians were called to a motorcycle gang clubhouse where a rival gang had placed a 10-pound IED at the rear doorstep. Photos courtesy of Med-Eng LET_08-11_BombSuit0614.indd 9 5/20/14 1:41 PM