Maine State Police Bomb Squad Responded To Calls About 2 Grenades And A Mortar Round In One Week’s Time

The Maine State Police Bomb Squad had a very busy week last week.

This five-member team of specially trained technicians has been around, according ot the state of Maine website, since 1994. They use specialized equipment, including a remote-controlled robot and a special containment trailer, to deal with and dispatch explosive threats.

"The team is responsible for investigating actual or suspected explosive devices."

Last Monday, they were called to York County after someone found what they believed to be a grenade lying next to a dumpster in Limington, and called authorities.

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The law enforcement officials who responded to the scene immediately called in the bomb squad.

In this particular case, the experts could not determine whether it was an active explosive or a dud, so they determined the safest route for all involved would be to secure the item and then counter charge the device, which is a fance way of saying they destroyed the thing remotely by putting explosives on or near it, in a controlled fashion, rather that risk it going off itself.

Then, on Saturday afternoon, they got called out to two more situations, one in Sagadahoc County and one in Kennebec County.

According to the Maine Department of Public Safety, the first call came in just before 2:30 PM. An individual who lives on the White Road, in the town of Bowdoinham, called the Sheriff's Department to report they'd found what they believed to be a mortar round on their land.

"MSP Bomb Technicians Wing and Pescitelli arrived on scene and identified the item as an 81MM M374 mortar round. X-ray analyses showed indicators of the item being potentially hazardous. The round was removed from the residence to be rendered safe in a secure location."

About an hour later, the bomb squad was called upon again. This time, they traveled to Main Street in Winslow after a potentially dangerous explosive war relic was found while someone was cleaning out a home there.

"First responders requested the Maine State Police Bomb Squad, and Technician Pina responded to the scene. The grenade was identified as a live standard MK2 hand grenade from the WWII or Korean War era. The grenade was removed from the residence and will be rendered safe in a secure location."

To become a member of the Maine State Police Bomb Squad, there are some pretty rigorous standards an individual must meet.

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First, you have to become certified as a Maine State Trooper, which includes an 18-week Basic Law Enforcement Training Program and another 10 weeks of instruction at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.

There's a physical fitness test, a polygraph test, a special application, along with an oral test and background check.
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Then, according to the Maine State Police website, if you pass all of that, and only after you've been a state trooper for a few years, if you're deemed enough of a self-motivated, disciplined person for the gig, they'll let you take even more tests specifically designed for the bomb squad.

"Following selection, members undergo rigorous training to become certified bomb technicians, often through the FBI Hazardous Devices School."

The Maine State Police Bomb Squad is one of 3 FBI accredited Hazardous Device Units (as they're often called) in Maine. The other two units are run by the Bangor Police Department and the Portland Police Department.