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Explosives Investigation Class Has More Than Pop Quizzes

Federal Air Marshals Explosives Specialist Patrick Tatman detonates the "Wall of Fire" during the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms training session at the MacDrill Air Force Base explosives range Wednesday.

Tribune photo by KELVIN MA

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By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 4, 2008

TAMPA - The fiery explosion lifted the flaming car tire some 200 feet into the air. It was enough to make the students shudder. The boom came a second later and set car alarms off almost a quarter of a mile away.

The demonstration was part of a post-blast investigation class taught by federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms instructors.

After a week in the classroom, students had the chance to view the hands-on pyrotechnics show at MacDill Air Force Base.

"These demonstrations put together the things we have been showing the students this past week," said ATF instructor Bill McFarland.

Fifty students were enrolled in the 40-hour course. They came from law enforcement agencies across the state. Some were arson investigators, others crime scene technicians. All were there to learn how to look at an explosion scene and figure out what kind of device was used and how it was detonated. That's critical information for detectives looking for a bomber or arsonist and key for prosecutors to build cases.

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Cpl. Jimmie Fordham, who has been on the bomb squad for 12 years, is taking the class as a refresher and to build a network of investigators across the state on whose expertise he can draw on when needed or offer advice to when asked.

Besides the half-dozen bombs set off on the explosives range at the southern end of the air force base, four junk cars were blown up after the students had gone for the day. The class will return this morning to sift through the wreckage left by the explosions and determine what kind of bombs were used, there were different ones in each junker, and how they were set off.

"The students are going to get a chance to see what we've been talking about," said Randy Mattson-Laurent, another ATF instructor who has military experience in explosives.

Students who complete the course should be able to figure out what to look for in crime scenes that involve explosive devices, he said. The key is to recognize tiny scraps of casing or wires that were part of the bomb.

"Almost 100 percent of the time, there are enough pieces and parts left over to collect," he said.

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760 or kmorelli@tampatrib.com.

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