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Explosives, Bomb Threats, and Search Procedures

NCJ Number
78136
Date Published
1981
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This Canadian slide series is designed to provide a basic information package on the hazards of bombs and explosives and on how to do a detailed search.
Abstract
The slides are divided into four sections. The first part deals with the nature of the threat, some legal aspects, recognition and identification of common explosives, and the hazards of various triggering devices. Also included are dramatic illustrations of the effects of an explosion on buildings and personnel. The next section looks at military devices from the point of view of recognition and hazards, letter bombs, fire bombs, arson devices, and the effects of explosives on a vehicle. It also deals extensively with the management decisionmaking process after a bomb threat is received and looks at various possible outcomes, including potential legal consequences. Finally, this section details the primary actions to be taken when a telephoned threat is received and delineates search and evacuation guidelines. Part three begins the search process, commencing with a search of the outside of typical industrial and office buildings. It explains several hazards involved and outlines the tools and aids used by search teams to make the job more efficient. This section explains the search procedure through various parts of the building and notes why certain techniques are recommended. The last section carries the search to its conclusion, illustrating how rooms are to be divided by a search team for a room-by-room sweep search. It goes on to discuss the evacuation of rooms containing confidential files, shows methods of reducing blast damage, and comments on the hazards of evacuating personnel. It concludes by showing some of the technical aids employed by security and police emergency response teams, including X-ray equipment, listening aids, explosives-transporting devices, and a bomb blanket. A final discussion on bomb evidence and its preservation concludes the program. The kit also includes a pamphlet, a discussion guidebook, and handout cards for the audience. (Author abstract modified)