New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
“As the holiday travel season is upon us the Massachusetts State Police Association would like to highlight the hard work and service of the Massport Bomb Squad, a team made up of 11 canine handlers, and 7 bomb technicians based at Logan Airport. The Massport Bomb Squad is led by Sgt. Calnan who is also the trainer for the unit with over 30 years of experience.
The canine unit has both passenger screening K9’s and explosive detection K9’s, making the Massport Bomb Squad a versatile unit ready to respond to any threat. The canine training is intense, and is hosted by the TSA Canine Training Center located in San Antonio Texas. The training can run from 11 weeks to 16 weeks, depending upon the certification. In addition, some of our canine handlers are also bomb technicians, which require additional training.
The canine unit with the assistance of bomb technicians respond to an average of about 16 calls a day for unattended bags and provide a safe environment for all passengers and employees at Boston Logan International Airport. In the year 2022, the canine unit has responded to over 6,000 calls of service thus far.
The Massport Bomb Squad also aids federal and local law enforcement during all VIP visits that come through Boston Logan International Airport with security sweeps. Several teams are dedicated to provide security and pro-active sweeps at several locations.
In addition to VIP security sweeps, the canine unit also conducts several enhanced security patrols throughout varying terminals a day, allowing the public to see the function of the canine unit. During these enhanced security patrols, both the handler and canine are constantly vigilant for any threat that may arise.
Bomb technicians are also ready to respond to any suspicious items throughout the airport with the assistance of the canine unit. The Massport Bomb Technicians are dedicated professionals to their field, utilizing all their time to training and preparation.” -State Police Association of Massachusetts.
All photos by the State Police Association of Massachusetts:
