ST. GEORGE – The Southern Utah Bomb Squad is supporting the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, to help promote safety when dealing with explosive materials, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a press statement Monday. The Bomb Squad will travel statewide to safely dispose of explosives, free of charge.

The Southern Utah Bomb Squad is made up of Washington County Sheriff’s deputies and St. George Police officers, and is the only bomb squad south of Provo.

“The Squad is extensively trained,” the Sheriff’s Office said, “and a valuable asset to our county.”

Statewide, there are eight bomb squads involved in the Utah Bomb Squad Task Force, most of which are in the Salt Lake City area.

In the past year, the Southern Utah team has responded to over a dozen calls for assistance in Washington County alone, the statement said. Most of the calls required the safe removal and destruction of unsafe explosive material.

“There have been several incidents in which citizens arrive unannounced at police departments to turn in explosives, or persons accidentally kill themselves while trying to dispose of old dynamite,” the Sheriff’s Office said, adding that the ATF has investigated multiple explosive thefts wherein explosives were not securely stored, resulting in explosives falling into the hands of felons and illegal drug users.

According to the United States Geological Survey, 71,000 metric tons of explosives were sold in Utah in 2013.

Because of the potential misuse of these explosive materials to the detriment of public safety, the ATF and the Utah Bomb Squad Task Force are seeking assistance from the public. The ATF and the Utah Bomb Squad are asking members of the public to contact them at 888-ATF-BOMB to surrender unwanted explosives.

For those who wish to surrender unwanted explosives:

• Contact: 888-ATF-BOMB
  Do not handle, cover, move or transport unwanted explosives
  The Utah Bomb Squad Task Force will travel statewide to safely dispose of explosives, free of charge

• Accepted materials:
  Commercial explosives
  Homemade explosives
  Military ordnance
  Display fireworks
  Consumer fireworks

• Not accepted materials:
  Ammunition
  Hazardous materials not classified as explosive

For more information on ATF and its programs visit the ATF website.

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