It's been a blast: Police buying new explosive disposal robot, bomb suit after years of service

Sault Ste. Marie Police Service says it’s time to retire its bomb robot - which, according to a police board report, is “literally held together by wires and tape” - from the ranks of its Explosive Disposal Unit (EDU).

City police will use its capital reserve fund in 2019 to purchase a replacement robot and a bomb suit for the EDU, as well as four night vision units for its Emergency Services Unit (ESU).

The new robot for the EDU, known as the ICOR Caliber T5, can identify and disarm booby traps, improvised explosive devices and other dangerous objects in closed areas, buildings and vehicles, according to a report submitted by Sgt. Rodney Burrows of the ESU.

The explosive disposal robot will be leased for $28,500 a year - over the course of a five-year term - for a total cost of $142,500.

“As your chief, I’ve went to call for service where we know that there is an incendiary device of some sort in the basement, and instead of sending a member down, we can send a robot down the stairs, identify it, capture it, take it out of the place without any risk of human injury or death,” Stevenson told board members during Thursday’s police service board meeting. “So if you have, obviously, an explosive disposal unit, you’ll pretty well need one of these as part of your kit.”

The ICOR Caliber T5 replaces Sault Ste. Marie Police Service’s current robot, which was donated to the force as a used around 20 years ago and requires repairs before deploying, and a “high probability” of not working, according to the ESU report to the board.

Meanwhile, the EOD 10 bomb suit - which will cost the police service $70,000 over five years - replaces the current one, which will be retired after a 17-year tour of duty locally following issues with the old bomb suit’s communication system.

The ESU will also be equipped with four sets of night vision units that are worn as a helmet mount accessory, at a total estimated cost of $61,000 over five years.

Currently, the ESU uses four rifle-mounted night vision units, and one handheld device - all of which will be retired after 18 years of service.

The ESU report submitted to the board refers to the current night vision gear as “antiquated, and worn out,” with grainy, blurred vision.

It’s hoped that ESU will also acquire additional night vision units in 2020.

Sault Ste. Marie Police Service Chief Hugh Stevenson says that all new equipment purchased for EDU and ESU in 2019 will be leased over a five-year period as opposed to being bought outright.

“We looked at our budget, we looked at opportunities to invest, and we chose to invest now,” Stevenson said. “I wouldn’t say for a minute that any of the command staff here would say that the way that we acted in the past was unsafe, because the equipment they had was allowing them to get the job done - this is simply investing in the future from a positive perspective.”

The capital reserve account will see total expenditures of $153,500 in 2019, with an additional $42,500 being spent in order to fulfill lease obligations until 2023.