Did you see "The Hurt Locker"? Find out what it takes to be a Bomb Appraisal Officer (BAO)

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OK, let's get it right from the start... the movie was not 100% accurate about Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel. 

The Hurt Locker is a high-tension, well-made, action movie that will certainly keep most viewers on the edges of their seats. In real life, EOD techs don't conduct dangerous missions as autonomous three-man teams without communications gear ... Another thing you'll rarely hear in combat is an EOD E-7 suggesting to two or three of his guys that they leave the scene of an explosion in an Iraqi city by saying: 'C'mon, let's split up. We can cover more ground that way..

The movie portrays the lead character as more of a run and gun cowboy type…exactly the kind of person the military or government agencies are not looking for. This is serious business folks, Team leaders don't have that kind of invincibility complex, and if they do, they aren't allowed to operate. A team leader's first priority is getting his team home in one piece.  OK, so now that we got that out of the way, we can focus on what it takes to be a "bomb" guy/girl.  There are different careers associated with bombs.  In the military they have:

1. Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel; and
2. Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD) specialists.

In Public Safety there are:

1. Public Safety Bomb Disposal (PSBD) specialists;
2. Bomb Appraisal Officers (BAO); and
3. Bomb Squads

This blog deals with the Bomb Appraisal Officer (BAO) which are employed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).  All BAOS serve three primary roles.

1. Workforce Training. This is where we are expected to focus the majority of our efforts. BAOs are charged with finding effective ways to share their expertise and years of real-world experience with the workforce. We build simulated explosive devices and run them through the screening process to show the workforce what the terrorists are doing and what they are capable of. This is challenging in that no two airports or groups of TSOs are exactly the same. It is incumbent on the BAOs to find effective way to do this, regardless of the challenges.

2. Conduct Advanced Alarm Resolution (AAR). When the conventional alarm resolution process has been exhausted and the alarm has not been resolved, the BAO is to be called. At his point, the BAO is responsible for resolving the alarm, with zero margin for error.

3. Serve as the TSA subject matter expert liaison for law enforcement and bomb squad partners. BAOs speak both TSA and bomb squad languages. This is important during a critical response event. In addition, it is not uncommon for law enforcement and bombs squads to request technical assistance and advice from BAOs for incidents at the airport as well as those unrelated to airport operations.

Typically all BAOs have a very similar background. They are “Bomb Guys”. Either as a military EOD Technician or as an FBI certified Public Safety Hazardous Devices Technician. TSA has established as a minimum requirement that all BAO candidates have been a Certified Bomb Technician from either of these two programs and served a minimum of 3 years as a technician in a Bomb Disposal Unit. All BAOs are interviewed, tested and hired based upon their experience, background and understanding of the terrorist threat. Nationally, if you add it up and divide by our numbers you are looking at an average of 17.5 yrs experience, per BAO across the board. That is an incredible amount of expertise at TSA's fingertips.

Training
All new BAOs are required to complete a 3 Phase training certification program. Phase-I all BAOs are required to complete Basic Screener Training (CP and CB). Phase-II is the BAO Certification and Instructor Presentation Skills Course. Since all BAOs will be spending most of their time conducting training, IPS certification is required. Then in Phase-III each new BAO is required to complete a minimum 40hr OJT course with a Senior BAO at an airport with an established and successful BAO-TSA Training program. Once all 3 phases are completed they are certified as operational BAOs.

Job Outlook

Originally authorized to hire approximately 300 BAOs, TSA is now looking to add additional BAOs to expand the program significantly. Expansion provides the opportunity to train more people and nobody loves to talk about their job more than a “Bomb Guy."