§ 23-28.2-5. Bomb disposal unit. (a) Within the office of the state fire marshal, there shall be a bomb disposal unit (bomb squad), accredited by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as a bomb squad, whose duties it will be to handle and dispose of all hazardous devices suspect to be explosive or incendiary in construction which includes any weapons of mass destruction (WMD) that may be explosive or chemical in construction.

(b) The State Fire Marshal shall appoint a bomb technician to supervise the operations of this unit and the technician must be certified by the FBI as a bomb technician. The bomb technician must ensure that all bomb technicians are trained and maintain certification, the bomb squad maintains accreditation, and ensures that all equipment belonging to the bomb squad is maintained and in operating condition at all times. The bomb technician must also provide to cities and towns and local businesses or any other organizations procedures in bomb threats, and procedures where explosive devices or suspect devices are located.

(c) The State Fire Marshal shall appoint from the local communities volunteer assistant deputy state fire marshals, as bomb squad members only, to assist in carrying on the responsibilities of this unit. The volunteers, who must be available for immediate response when called upon, and be available to participate in training sessions, shall be approved by their local fire or police chief, and must have their chief sign an agreement (memorandum of understanding) that provides for their release during emergencies and training and assumes liability for any injuries that may occur to them. All bomb squad members shall operate only under the direction of the State Bomb Squad Commander or senior ranking Deputy State Fire Marshal who is certified as a bomb technician. The bomb squad may also request assistance from the local fire and police authorities when handling any explosive or incendiary device, WMD or post-incident investigations.

History of Section. (P.L. 1975, ch. 165, § 6; P.L. 2004, ch. 220, § 3; P.L. 2004, ch. 225, § 3; P.L. 2018, ch. 47, art. 3, § 4.)