Explosion after explosion ripped through the Fresno Police Department's new training facility Tuesday afternoon. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives designed this training exercise to demonstrate the damage individual bombs can cause and how to track down the person who designed it.
"A clothes pin doesn't look like a clothes pin. A car doesn't look like a car half the time when you are coming into a post blast scene," said A.T.F. agent and instructor Brian Parker.
His team is spending the week teaching one dozen officials from various Central Valley fire departments and police departments how to analyze a crime scene.
Not only does the A.T.F. train local and state officials but the U.S. military as well. Most of the instructional time is spent in the classroom but A.T.F. agents said the best way to learn is hands on ... and through field demonstrations.
This is all that remains from the tire that exploded into the sky. Each student will take this evidence back into the classroom where they will piece it together to see what they can learn about this bomb.
"After this class the students will know that everything is still there. They just have to search for it. Find smaller pieces, put it back together and solve it," said Sgt. Bob Reynolds.
Reynolds is with the Fresno Police Bomb Squad. The group partnered with the A.T.F. at the city's new facility for this exercise. After the course is over each student is certified to enter a blast scene and aid in the investigation.
