OBJECTIVE
USE PROPER SEARCH TECHNIQUES
3
1. There are many factors to consider before ordering a search if you are the commander or Bomb
Scene Officer.
a. Will the search be overt or covert?
b. Will the search be conducted before evacuation, after evacuation, or without evacuation?
c. Will the search be conducted by supervisors, occupants, or a special team?
d. How much of the building will be searched?
e. A detailed search of even a medium-size building can take from 12 to 24 hours, and moving the
furniture and equipment around will cause considerable confusion and inconvenience to the
occupants. Since many bombs are activated by some type of watch or clock mechanism, by the
time the bomb has been set and you receive the warning there is much less than 12 hours of
actual search time left.
2. The extent of any search will be determined by the number of people available to search and the
commander's evaluation of the threat. Remember, military police do not order searches,
evacuation, or reentry into a building after an evacuation. These decisions are all made by the
commander or building supervisor concerned.
3. The individual or group of individuals selected to conduct the search must be given special training
in systematic search procedures and must be taught to recognize a bomb or explosive device (EOD
will assist in this training). The key to a successful search is to be systematic. All searches must
proceed in an orderly manner from the starting point throughout the area, with each room being
marked or sealed after it has been searched.
4. Depending on their area of responsibility, search teams should be equipped with some of these
items:
Standard and Phillip screwdrivers
Flashlight
Body Armor, such as flak vest
Crescent wrench
Hand mirror
Plastic ribbon, string, or crepe paper for marking searched area
67
Previous Page
