Photo By Sgt. Ricardo Hurtado | Staff Sgt. Erik Tirado, right, an explosive ordnance disposal technician with 1st...... read more read more
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LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Marines are known for their capabilities to answer our nation’s call at moment’s notice. Those capabilities are often displayed overseas, but also at home. In order to be well prepared when the local community needs it, Marines with 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 7th Engineer Support Battalion, conducted interoperability training with the Los Angeles Police Department Bomb Squad Jan. 19-23, 2014, in Los Angeles.
The event focused on training both, the Marines and Police bomb technicians, on each other’s capabilities and limitations in order to successfully operate on the same level.
The Marines of 1st EOD Co., who recently returned from deployment, took advantage of the training event to get back to the in-state mindset and be able to operate at home.
“Working state-side incorporates a different set of rules than it would be working overseas,” said Master Sgt. Jeffrey Ramirez, the operations chief for 1st EOD Co. “For the Marines to work effectively with other agencies, they have to understand what the limitations are and what their role is when it comes to working with [those agencies].”
During the five-day training evolution, the Marines and police officers learned about the differences in lingo and how to communicate effectively with each other while on the line of duty.
“One of the first things we go over with Marines is terminology, a lot of the police terminology that we use on the street and what Marines use in combat could mean two totally different things,” said Steve Hennigan, a police officer and bomb technician with the LAPD Bomb Squad.
LAPD police officers also had a chance to learn from the Marines on new technologies they might have encountered while deployed.
“Another reason why we train with the Marine EOD technicians is that since they’re just coming back from deployment, we were able to get information from them on what type of devices [and tactics] they were encountering over there,” said Hennigan. “There could be a time, and we want to be ready for it, that it could happen here in the City of Los Angeles and our bomb squad will be able to tackle that problem, and [that’s why] we get as much information as we can from our Marine Corps EOD assets.”
The training week consisted of various notional scenarios set up around the city for the Marines and police officers to respond to. Training sites included the Port of Los Angeles, the Hollywood Dam, a local fire station, and the Los Angeles International Airport.
“These sites were picked out, problems were put in place, and then the Marines and the LAPD Bomb [Technicians] were put in teams to work together and see what friction points might arise, and how to work around those friction points,” said Ramirez.
After numerous years of working overseas, Marines find it helpful to conduct this type of training, which incorporates the urban surroundings as well as the civilian population.
“It is important for us to understand how to operate [and deal with any type of explosive] in this environment, with civilians and infrastructure everywhere,” said Staff Sgt. Jason Morgan, an EOD team leader with 1st EOD Co.
Training such as this is vital in keeping Marines and LAPD officers prepared for anything should the situation arise.
"It's not uncommon for military EOD to work with law enforcement bomb squad,” said Ramirez. “We as a whole has the same mission, and that is to defeat any explosive threat, and that is to defeat any explosive threat, so us working with the LAPD Bomb Squad is only going to help the community out in the long run."
The group of EOD Marines left Los Angeles with a better understanding of their LAPD counterpart’s ways of operation and better prepared to respond to any situation in which they might be called upon to assist.
“It’s been great, they have shared every bit of information they possibly could, they have walked us through all their processes and steps,” added Morgan. “We have been able to impart information with them as well, so I think from both sides we have been able to [learn from each other] in the past few days.”
| Date Taken: | 01.30.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 01.30.2015 12:39 |
| Story ID: | 153151 |
| Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 408 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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