FBI teaches law enforcement how to respond to public bomb detonations

WEST BOYLSTON, Mass. — It’s been four years since three people were killed and hundreds more injured near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, and the FBI is continuing to train for future attacks using homemade explosives.

Only Boston 25 News reporter Bob Ward was there as the FBI led live explosive training for more than 100 local law enforcement members.

Cameras on the ground and the SkyVision drone above captured the training, which featured exercises for real-life situations the officers could find themselves in.

“We're just trying to drive home an awareness of understanding what these chemicals are and how they react together,” FBI Special Agent Geoff Raby said.

Raby, a bomb technician, explained that each bomb has its own characteristics, some burn quickly with no explosion, but others can do substantial damage.

“The bad guys aren't naive to how we conduct our operations. And they are constantly trying to change their tactics. To increase their ability to be successful and we're constantly having to obtain new intelligence to find out how they are going to change their tactics,” he said.

Most of these trainees are members of local SWAT teams, who got an up-close look at the risk they all face when they get called out.

“We're not technicians, we're not bomb techs, we're first responders we are the first ones going in there. And we can recognize this before something does happen,” CEMLEC SWAT Deputy Commander Jay Dugan said.

The Boston FBI runs explosives training several times a year. It is hoped that by demonstrating to local law enforcement just how powerful these bombs can be, they will be better equipped to deal with them, if they run into them out in the streets.

Cox Media Group