History of Unit
The Bomb Squad was originally formed by the former Chatham County Police Department for the purpose of having a team able to respond to explosive incidents in the Chatham County area. Under the merged Savannah-Chatham Metro Police Department, the unit grew in size to include officers from both the Chatham County and Savannah Police Departments. The unit remained a part of Savannah Police Department after the 2018 de-merger of Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police.
Purpose
The Bomb Squad is responsible for rendering safe suspicious packages, assisting military Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units with the destruction of explosive ordinance, and assisting SWAT with barricaded gunman calls.
Staffing
The team currently has 5 members, four of whom are certified graduates of the FBI Hazardous Device School in Huntsville, Ala., the only civilian Bomb Technician School in the United States. SPD’s Bomb Squad has a tactical medic partnership with Chatham EMS, one of the few on the East Coast, as an additional safety measure for departmental personnel when on an incident callout or conducting explosive range demonstrations.
Specialized Training
Being an SPD bomb technician involves, in addition to regular job assignments, a 24-hour monthly training requirement and attending public safety functions. Candidates wishing to become FBI Certified Bomb Technicians must have at least five years with the department, have obtained their Hazmat Technician certification, and have passed a departmental physical agility test before being considered for the six-week Hazardous Devices School in Huntsville. The team maintains a working relationship with its military counterparts at Fort Stewart, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, and Kings Bay Naval base. Advanced training is also held with the Savannah Fire and Emergency Services Haz-Mat team.
Types of equipment
The team currently has One Farber Chevrolet 35’ operations truck, a 4X4 Ford pickup truck for towing the single vent containment vessel, and a Polaris “side-by side” type utility vehicle for special missions requiring rapid deployment of men and equipment. The team has two robots, a REMOTEC F6B and a TALON responder.
