By: Steve Macko, ENN Editor
Excepted from EmergencyNet NEWS Service Daily Report
Sunday, August 4, 1996
Vol. 2 - 217
By: Steve Macko, ENN Editor
Ever since last week when the pipe bomb in Atlanta exploded, bomb experts in the Chicago area have
increased these preparations for the upcoming Democratic National Convention that will be held at the United
Center from 26 to 29 August. From this past Wednesday to Friday, members of the Chicago Police
Department and Cook County Sheriff's Department bomb squads, as well as federal agents, conducted a
security exercise.
Similar security exercises have been held monthly since the beginning of the year. The past exercises have
focused mainly on what are considered to be "low-tech" devices, such as pipe bombs. The exercise that was
conducted this week stressed more exotic type of threats, such as: plastic explosives and chemical and
biological weapons.
During the convention, there will be six emergency response teams composed of city, county and federal
explosive experts that will provide 24 hour coverage.
It is said that the Federal Bureau of Investigation will be providing a wide variety of sophisticated bomb
detection equipment and other gear. This same equipment has been making the rounds in the U.S. this summer.
It is currently in use at the Olympics in Atlanta. From there, it will be sent to San Diego for the Republican
National Convention, which opens on 12 August and from there it will be sent to Chicago.
What is said to be one of the more interesting pieces of equipment that bomb experts will be able to use is a
state-of-the-art bomb-defusing robot that is called an "Alvin." Alvin costs about $86,000 and is rigged with
cameras and can neutralize some bombs with a powerful jet of water.
The Chicago Police Department already has an Alvin on order for their own use in the future and the Cook
County Sheriff's Department is attempting to find funds to get their own.
Kenneth Rewers, the chief of the Cook County Sheriff's bomb squad said that having a bomb-defusing robot
"is getting to be a must with bomb squads."
Rewers told of an incident that occurred in west suburban Berwyn on 25 April 1996. Thirty old sticks of
dynamite were found inside of a garage. They were probably left at site for decades. The dynamite was so old
that nitroglycerin was actually oozing out of it. Nitroglycerin is so unstable in a situation like that -- it could
trigger an explosion if accidently stepped upon.
Two Sheriff's police bomb technicians had to don protective gear and remove the dangerous dynamite. As
Rewers said, "putting their lives on the line." An Alvin could have done the same job safely without putting
anybody's life in jeopardy.
The Cook County Sheriff's Department bomb squad has ten members on it. They also have bomb-sniffing
dogs. The size of the Chicago Police Department's bomb and arson unit is classified, but it is believed to have
about 24 members. Chicago has two specially equipped bomb-removal wagons which are about the size of
small trucks.
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