YOUNGSTOWN POLICE New member: not the bomb, but she'll handle 'em

The new machine will roll into danger without batting an eye, or four.
By JOHN SKENDALL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Police just added a sixth member to the bomb squad.
She's 250 pounds and runs 1.4 miles per hour, but she's in better shape for handling bombs than any of the officers.
Police said their new RMI 9WT bomb-handling robot -- officers say it's a "she" -- will decrease risk for officers by rolling its way into dangerous situations and maneuvering potentially deadly bombs or chemicals.
Youngstown Police Department's bomb squad, serving four counties, responds to about 40 calls a year to investigate suspicious items.
Squad commander Joe DeMatteo said they were able to buy the top-of-the-line, $93,000 robot with federal funds.
When DeMatteo first became trained as a bomb technician in 1985, he said the only equipment he had was the shirt on his back.
"Everything was hands-on," he said.
Now the squad has $300,000 in equipment through federal funding, including the brand-new robot, built by Pedsco Ltd., a company in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.
Robot's abilities
The robot sports six tires with removable belts allowing it to climb stairs and steep grades. Its remote-operated claws can deftly raise, rotate and move a suitcase or box, while its four cameras inspect the object.
The RMI 9WT, as yet unnamed, is not a force to be fooled with. It can lift 180 pounds and its extremely low gear ratio allows it to pull a truck.
Squad members will spend three days with the robot's makers, Pedsco president Bob Pedersen and his son, Paul, learning how to operate it. The operator, standing away from danger, watches a color video monitor and pushes a series of pressure-sensitive levers, all contained on a dolly. No wires are necessary.
Each member of the bomb squad is a certified bomb technician who attends regular training in Huntsville, Ala. The squad, which works as part of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, has been active here since 1972.
About half of the bomb squads in the United States have robots that help them inspect suspicious items, DeMatteo said.
So far, the squad has not faced serious injury from investigations. Now the squad's new member will keep officers further out of harm's way.