Registration open for IDNR bomb dog training for law enforcement

Training will take place April 27-May 1 in Kankakee County

SPRINGFIELD - Staff from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Office of Mines and Minerals will host bomb dog training for law enforcement agencies April 27 through May 1 in Kankakee County.

The training offers advanced, real-world training opportunities for law enforcement explosives-detection K-9 teams from across the region and is designed to enhance explosives detection capabilities while fostering interagency cooperation and professional networking. The event is organized by IDNR's Explosives and Aggregate Division with support from multiple volunteer government agencies and private-sector partners. The objective is to facilitate additional training and networking for a very important aspect of law enforcement.

Exercises will be conducted on a mining property and will include vehicles, trailers, construction equipment and other staging materials. Scenarios will feature both bulk and small-quantity explosives. Each morning, a bomb squad will detonate a vehicle, followed by K-9 post-blast sweep operations throughout the day to locate potential secondary unexploded devices.

In addition, IDNR will offer a mini explosives training session for local fire and police departments attending as observers. This session will cover materials regulated by IDNR, Illinois explosives licensing requirements, proper handling and storage procedures, and regulatory expectations for professional-grade fireworks displays.

IDNR blasting and explosives specialists will be available to answer questions and provide regulatory guidance and resources. This training will enhance participants' general explosives knowledge and public safety preparedness.

This is the eighth year IDNR has offered the training. Past participating agencies include the Illinois State Police; Illinois Secretary of State Police; sheriff's offices from Cook, Lake, Kane, DuPage and Will counties; the Chicago Police Department; the U.S. Federal Reserve Police; federal railroad police agencies; university police departments; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. military; and police agencies from Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana.