THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT BOMB SQUAD WAS ORGANIZED IN 1956. BY 1972 IT HAD SIX OFFICERS AND FOUR DOGS TRAINED TO DETECT EXPLOSIVES, AND BY 1974, EIGHT OFFICERS. MUCH TRAINING IS NECESSARY FOR A POLICE DEPARTMENT BOMB SQUAD MEMBER, AND IN LOS ANGELES THE BOMB SQUAD IS ALSO THE FIREARMS UNIT. MEMBERS WHO ARE USUALLY OVER 30 YEARS OLD, ARE EXPERIENCED WITH MILITARY EXPLOSIVES, AND SPECIAL WEAPONS; IN ADDITION, NEW MEMBERS ARE GIVEN 1.5 YEARS OF SPECIAL TRAINING. EXTENSIVE INSERVICE TRAINING ENSUES. A NEW POLICE OFFICER OPTING FOR BOMB SQUAD MEMBERSHIP SHOULD LEARN CRIMINALISTICS. KEEPING QUALIFIED EXPLOSIVES EXPERTS IS DIFFICULT IN LOS ANGELES, HOWEVER, SINCE CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN THE BOMB SQUAD IS POOR. BOMB SQUAD WORK CONSISTS OF 20 PERCENT BOMB AND 80 PERCENT FIREARMS CASES. MOTIVES LISTED FOR BOMBINGS ARE EXPERIMENTS, MALICIOUS VANDALISM, BOMBINGS BY REVOLUTIONARIES, MURDER FOR PAY, AND EMOTIONAL RELEASE AND ANGER. BOMB SQUAD MEMBERS, HOWEVER, ARE NOT AFRAID OF THEIR WORK AND DO NOT THINK IT MORE DANGEROUS THAN OTHER POLICE WORK. BOMB SQUADS USE BOMB TRANSPORT TRAILERS, SLEDS WITH SAFETY SHIELDS, AND DETECTION DOGS IN THEIR WORK. BOMB DETECTION DOGS, INTENSIVELY TRAINED BY THE U.S. AIR FORCE, GREATLY REDUCE BOMB SEARCH TIME. FINALLY, TELEVISION AND CHEMISTRY TEACHERS ALLEGEDLY CAUSE BOMB SQUADS MUCH TROUBLE: TELEVISION POLICE SHOWS GIVE CRIMINALS IDEAS ABOUT USING BOMBS, AND CHEMISTRY TEACHERS IMPART AN INTEREST IN EXPLOSIVES WITHOUT TEACHING HOW DANGEROUS THEY ARE. ILLUSTRATIONS ARE INCLUDED.