Law enforcement agents from around the area gathered Tuesday (Aug. 20) for a training session that included demonstrations on improvised, homemade explosive devices.
About a dozen members of the FBI, led by Special Agent Peter Licata, conducted the National Improvised Explosives Familiarization Course. Dozens of first-responders attended, as did business leaders and folk who oversee infrastructure.
The trainees came from all over the region, and as far as Washington, DC.
"The course is designed to substantially increase awareness of commercial, readily-available, off-the-shelf products (e.g., from pharmacies, hardware and automotive stores, etc.) that could be used as explosive precursor materials, and to demonstrate, through numerous actual detonation exercises, the effects of the resulting 'homemade' explosives," officials said in a press release.
The first part of the course was held at Carmel's Paladin Center, a facility that specializes in preparing first-responders for everything from active shooters to elevator rescue.
Explosive demonstrations followed at an outdoor location in Patterson.
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