KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One week after homemade explosives were found near the state capital in Kansas, the FBI and area police offered a demonstration. Experts wanted to show the public how they dismantle a bomb.
The demonstration was held in the parking lot of Kemper Arena. Bomb experts say it may be a matter of time before the attacks we hear about in Iraq and Afghanistan come to the United States. The bomb squad responded to a situation in Independence in January where a pipe bomb was found near a drive-in movie theater.
In Wednesday’s demonstration, the device is simply a cardboard box. The robot was operated by a detective with a remote and camera and a panel of buttons in a police truck a safe distance away.
“We’re never near the device if it blows up, it blows up a robot and not us,” said Lex Wallace with KCPD.
Robots can’t always access a device. Sometimes a bomb technician has to gear up.
“You now your heart rate goes up and when you put on all this,” said Mark Vargo with OPPD.
Mark Vargo is with Overland Park Police. His 90 pound outfit includes Kevlar. It’s like a bullet proof vest and nomex which is a fire retardant chemical.
Technicians can still gather the bomb’s remains as important evidence once it blows up.
“We want to be able to try and piece it back together in case it’s something we go to court on,” Vargo said.
Authorities worry about people trying to come up with bombs that they’ve read about online.
“We have concerns that things that people might see on the internet in other places they would attempt to do here,” said Jon Tucker with the FBI.
The FBI says bomb squads respond to about 12 to 15 incidents a month across Kansas and western Missouri. Most are hoaxes but about two to five cases a month turn out to be explosive devices.