Nearby Bell Buckle, Tennessee was explosive this past week, thanks to a special course for first responders.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Nashville Field Division hosted a “Post Blast Investigative Techniques” course the week of August 2nd at the Tennessee Fire and Codes Academy in Bell Buckle, Tennessee (See Videos Below).
The August 2021 course was taught by subject matter experts from the National Center for Explosives Training and Research (NCETR) located in Huntsville, Ala.
The purpose of the course was to provide training in the area of explosives recognition, scene processing, pre and post blast components as well as a review of recent case studies.
The United States Bomb Data Center also provided the latest trends in explosives/fire incidents nationwide.
The agenda was a combination of instructional information and hands on practical’s to include an explosives demonstration followed by the teams processing multiple post blast scenes.
The end goal was to enhance the skillset of the seasoned investigators by providing a systemic approach to process an explosives related scene.
ATF Special Agent in Charge, Mickey French, stated “Joint training in a “real life” environment leads to a seamless approach when agencies come together to investigate an explosives incident no matter the location within in the United States.”
The course participants were arson/explosives investigators:
• Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
• Tennessee Highway Patrol, Special Operations Unit
• Nashville Metro Police Department Bomb Squad
• Nashville Fire Department
• Rutherford County Fire Rescue
• Cookeville Fire Department
• Bedford County Fire Department and EMS
Anyone with information on fire/explosives incidents should report it to your local law enforcement. Information can also be received by calling 1-888-ATF-TIPS.
More information on ATF and its programs can be found at www.atf.gov.
