SUMMIT COUNTY, OHIO—County Executive Ilene Shapiro is pleased to announce her Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) recently procured a new, state-of-the-art tactical bomb disposal robot for the Summit County Bomb Squad, a specialized, inter-departmental team led by the Summit County Sheriff Kandy Fatheree’s Office that serves eight local counties. SCDPS applied for and was awarded $200,000 in federal funding to purchase the equipment. This recent acquisition is just one of many led by SCDPS in its role as the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) Region 5 fiscal agent.
“Public Safety Director Lori Pesci and her dedicated team continue to work closely with our local law enforcement partners to ensure they have the equipment they need to keep our residents safe from harm,” said County Executive Shapiro. “We always hope they never have to use specialized equipment like this, but if they do, we can all be confident in their response capabilities.”
Tactical robots are essential in assisting bomb squads with incidents involving explosives, or suspected explosive materials, and are used to preserve life, protect first responders and clear scenes and locations. Recognizing the significant technological advancements made since then and maintenance concerns with one of the team’s current robots, which was last replaced in 1998, SCDPS coordinated with local law enforcement partners to submit a request for funds to purchase a new, modern model. The new robot has flexible precision controls, radios, LIDAR distance sensors, high resolution cameras, and arm control. It can be used in the most dangerous situations to keep residents and first responders safe.
“The partnership between SCDPS and the local law enforcement agencies is an invaluable one. The equipment necessary to keep our Bomb Squad Technicians and the public safe is costly and sometimes unattainable to local departments. Summit County securing federal grants has allowed us to purchase state-of-the-art equipment to better serve the community,” said Sheriff Fatheree.
One of SCDPS’s primary functions is to support law enforcement and specifically, specialized teams such as SWAT Teams and Bomb Squads, through the procurement of counter-terrorism equipment using SHSP grant funding. On an annual basis, SCDPS works with regional teams to assess needs and review current Homeland Security national priorities. Those priorities are used to determine the types of counter-terrorism equipment the teams will apply for while also considering the needs of the teams and the functions they serve within their communities. The goal is to procure equipment that assist teams in preventing acts of terrorism and targeted violence, mitigate threats, and work to keep residents and responding officers safe, whether they are participating in a large-scale event, such as a concert or marathon, or involved in emergency scenarios.
In addition to the tactical bomb robot, SCDPS has procured various other types of equipment for Region 5 SWAT Teams and Bomb Squads including bomb suits, x-ray scanners, wireless radar, personal radiation devices, night vision, tactical headsets, ballistic shields, and more with SHSP grant funding. SCDPS maintains strong partnerships with its regional teams, and through those partnerships, they enhance terrorism and targeted violence prevention priorities, and focus on mitigating threats and bolstering safety in Summit County and Region 5.
