MIDLAND, Texas — Contrary to what people may believe, the Midland Bomb Squad isn't the day job for most of it's members.
It’s also not just made up of Midland Police Department officers.
“The Midland Bomb Squad is a joint unit between the Midland Police Department, the Midland Fire Department, and the District Attorney’s Office. So we have bomb technicians from each one of those offices represented on the team,” said Detective Kyle Slagle, a detective and member of the Midland Bomb Squad.
Even if they have other day jobs, the members of the bomb squad are always on call throughout the year.
“We not only respond to any suspicious package calls in the region and explosive calls that might involve the oil field, but we support the SWAT team and any other MPD operations or county operations that need robots for support,” Detective Slagle said.
When it comes to training, Detective Slagle says you must be an officer for three years before you can try out for the squad.
If you do pass, you start a process that eventually has you go into the FBI’s hazardous device school in Redstone, Alabama.
“This is a six-week class where you’re certified to become a bomb technician,” Detective Slagle said.
Detective Slagle says that the Midland Bomb Squad has also recently upgraded their equipment with things like a new robot and new bomb suits as well.
So even with a busy week, the Midland Bomb Squad is always ready and doing what they can to protect the community.