Sheriff John E. Zaruba announces that the Sheriff’s Office Hazardous Device Unit has been granted a new bomb disposal robot to help protect the citizens of DuPage County and the northern region of Illinois.
The Illinois Terrorism Task Force (ITTF) and the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System (ILEAS) provided an equipment grant that purchased the latest in robot technology for the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office Hazardous Device Unit. The funds to purchase the Remotec Andros F6A Bomb Disposal Robot came from Federal Department of Homeland Security. 

A Remotec Andros F6A Bomb Disposal Robot, valued at $150,000, was awarded to the Sheriff’s Hazardous Device Unit to make bomb disposal safer for the Hazardous Device technician. This robot can remotely render an item safe without having to send a bomb unit member to approach the bomb. It is able to climb stairs and operate in any terrain. The robot has four cameras with infra red technology for low light operations, 2 way communication, and light attachments that allow for safer searching and examination.

“The most important consideration in dealing with a potentially explosive device is the safety of the public and the bomb technicians,” said DuPage County Sheriff John Zaruba. “When our Unit is called to an incident, it is unknown how sensitive the device is that they are dealing with until it is dismantled. The Remotec Andros F6A will allow them to examine the suspicious device and transport it to a location for disposal or examination, minimizing the danger of those involved.”

The DuPage County Sheriff’s Office Hazardous Devices Unit has been in existence for 33 years and is one of only eleven FBI certified operational units in Illinois. The original unit that was started in 1976 was comprised of two members and has grown into a unit of seven highly skilled technicians that respond to over 150 requests for service a year, including actual bombings, recovery of illegal devices, VIP protection, bomb threats, suspect packages, and post-blast investigations. The events of 9/11/01 initiated the increased demand in expertise, technology and critical pre-event planning in the areas of Hazardous Device recognition and disposal.