If you have strong nerves and the desire to help people in situations that many others cannot, then the work of a bomb disposal technician for explosive ordnance disposal may be the one job for you. There are various paths into this career including through the military and also through law enforcement in other countries such as the USA. You can be called to work around the world dealing with explosive ordnance disposal.
What the job involves
We have all seen them on movies or on documentaries – dressed in their big, protective gear they are the people that move in to deal with items believed to be dangerous and potentially explosive. This can be unexploded military ammunition such as shells, grenades or even depth charges in water. It can be landmines in some parts of the world or it may be improvised explosive devices such as makeshift explosives, pipe or car bombs.
There are also different aspects to the job as well as the ‘person in the funny suit’ that we see the most on TV. For example, the work will involve coordinating with local authorities to make sure any potentially dangerous areas have been evacuated before finding and identifying the device. This is often done with remote control vehicles made specifically for explosive ordnance disposal to reduce the risks. It can also include defusing devices by hand and using explosives to destroy the devices.
Other aspects of the job
Not everyone works on the front line in this kind of work. There are also crucial roles behind the scenes where the expertise of the EOD technician is required. This might be in ammunition storage facilities or to oversee the maintenance and loading of weapons onto aircraft such as fighters. It would also mean looking after the equipment used to dispose of devices such as the remote-controlled robots.
Not all work as a bomb disposal technician is as glamorous as the TV makes it look but it is an important and potentially dangerous job that is sadly needed in many places around the world.
At Armtrac, we manufacture explosive ordnance disposal equipment for many uses. For more information, visit our website or get in touch.
