Which resources should be requested to respond to a bomb explosion in an occupied building?

• A. Police Department Bomb Squad + Tactical Medics
• B. Fire Department Hazardous Materials Team
• C. Federal Bureau of Investigation Counterterrorism Unit
• D. Urban Search and Rescue Team

Answer: (A)

When a bomb explodes in an occupied building, the first priority is safety and rapid, coordinated rescue and care under threat. The team best suited to start that response is the police department’s bomb squad (explosive ordnance disposal) working alongside tactical medics. The bomb squad has specialized training to identify, assess, and render safe any explosive devices and secondary threats, establish a secure perimeter, and manage the scene so that others can operate without risking further harm. Bringing in tactical medics ensures that medical care can be provided inside a high-threat environment and during evacuation, while staying coordinated with law enforcement to maintain scene safety and order.

Other resources have valuable roles in specific aspects of the incident, but they don’t address the immediate combination of explosive hazard control and high-threat medical care as directly. A HazMat team would focus on hazardous materials that may be released by the blast, a federal counterterrorism unit is typically involved in investigation and higher-level coordination, and an urban search and rescue team is crucial for collapsed structures and trapped victims. In this scenario, the most effective on-scene response pairs threat containment with lifesaving medical care.