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Olympic security team has bomb experts from across Canada 3 · Thursday, January 28, 2010 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com Continued from page 1 before tackling it. That would give us even more information." While most people would do whatever they could to stay away from a bomb, Chalecky noted, the EDU was the right fit for his mechanical inclination and interest in explosives. "I've rebuilt houses, rebuilt cars, so it's just kind of a natural progression for me," said Chalecky. "Prior to my policing career, I was in the Canadian Reserves in an artillery regiment and there you're dealing with shells and explosives and grenades, so I kind of progressed from that interest to this." Olesen described his work with the EDU as just another challenge noting he was attracted to it by the opportunity to learn new things. While Halton may not seem like a particularly bomb-riddled region, Olesen and Chalecky note there's enough work to keep them busy. The bulk of the jobs they get involve examining suspicious packages and dealing with, what they call, found munitions. "Recently there was a World War II veteran who had passed away and his family members had found an unexploded grenade and an artillery shell in his basement, so we responded to that," said Olesen. "There's a lot of different blasting and quarry work taking place around the region and sometimes we get called when people find devices like railway torpedoes and things like that." When not investigating potential bombs, Olesen and Chalecky carry out their duties as members of the Halton Police Tactical Rescue Unit. In this capacity, they use their skills from the EDU to do things like blow open barricaded doors and direct their bomb robot, which is equipped with cameras, into potentially dangerous situations to give police a better idea of what is going on. When a device is found, an effort is made to determine exactly what the EDU is dealing with, as different types of explosive devices need to be approached in different ways. "A grenade that has been sitting undisturbed for 40 years that still has the pin in it, you're reasonably sure it is going to be safe to handle, but you still take all the precautions like evacuating the house and just assume the worst case may occur," said Olesen. "Now if we found old dynamite in a field, because 50-60 years ago nobody really worried about permits or how they used dynamite, and it's been sitting in a box for 30 years and it's leaking or decomposing that would be totally different." When the time comes to disarm an explosive device, Chalecky said the EDU will most likely not be standing over it deciding whether to cut the green wire or the blue wire, but will be a safe distance away dealing with the situation remotely. Unlike in the movies, he noted, modern bomb disarmament is rarely done by hand -- instead, the bomb robot has the unenviable job of making the explosive device safe. On those rare occasions when a bomb technician is required to handle an explosive device or found munitions, they put on a 100 pound protective suit, which is so thick it has its own cooling system to stop the person inside from passing out in hot weather. While holding something in your hand that could potentially blow you to pieces would be unnerving for most people, Olesen takes it all in stride. "You always respect what you're dealing with," he said. "It's kind of like driving a car. If you know what you're abilities are and what the limits of the vehicle are and what's going on around you, then the safety level is pretty high, as long as you keep your wits about you." Chalecky said he and Olesen will not be the only bomb technicians in Vancouver. Police services from across the country are also sending EDU personnel to the historical event. While the pair has received no specific training to prepare them for the Olympics, Chalecky said their existing and ongoing training covers almost any scenario they could face. "In the past few years, I've been to quite a few training operations where we've had mock devices on ships, in stadiums, at large sports venues, in Ottawa at the Scotiabank Place, Copps Coliseum," said Chalecky. "Your basic bomb training pretty well covers all avenues." This training has also covered chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks. Chalecky and Olesen noted they are trained in the use of a variety of protective suits and containment methods needed in the event such a scenario unfolds. While both men have some reservations about leaving their families for a month to go on this assignment, both confessed to being excited. They will be housed on a cruise ship the RCMP has chartered to accommodate all the security personnel needed for the games. "It shouldn't be too bad," said Chalecky. "It will be nice to have all our meals cooked for us over the next five weeks. I've done some research and anybody who will be staying on other cruise ships as a tourist will be paying upwards of $300 per night." While Olesen said he wouldn't mind seeing the gold medal hockey game on one of his off days, he acknowledges his chances are pretty slim. "If the opportunity comes up, that would be great," said Olesen. "I imagine they're going to be incredibly expensive by that time, especially if Canada makes it to the finals. It will all be a question of how much money is available." Other Oakville members of the Halton police who will be helping to provide security at the Olympics include Constable Jasvir Sanghera, Constable Amy Knibb, Sergeant Paul Csanyi, Constable John Todd, Constable Harpreet Bhathal, Constable Craig Fallis and Constable Jeremy Smith. Weekend