For Immediate Release
November 19, 2001

Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office

The FBI and the U.S. Army today announced plans to begin construction of a new world-class Hazardous Devices School (HDS) facility at Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama. HDS provides the Basic and Recertification training for all of the approximately 2,300 public safety bomb technicians in the United States and certifies them to work as bomb technicians. HDS also provides speciality courses for bomb squad personnel, including a Robot Course. The current school, which has been at Redstone Arsenal since 1971, is funded and administered by the FBI and is operated by the US Army Ordnance Missile & Munitions Center and School.

This construction project is being funded by the FBI, and will be managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District. It will include four administrative and classroom buildings containing nearly 64,000 square feet, along with 14 practical exercise training villages. The new construction will be situated near the existing HDS range on 295 additional acres that have recently been designated for this project. Completion of the project is anticipated within two years.

The new construction will allow HDS to better meet the needs of the 421 accredited public safety bomb squads in the US The facility, designed by the Mason & Hanger architectural firm, is specifically planned to accommodate training on state-of-the-art tools i.e.- robots, available to bomb squads today.

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