SEPDECJan 1201020112012 48             captures             4             Dec 09 - 1 Dec 11CloseHelpBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and ExplosivesFact Sheet
Public Affairs Division – Washington, DC

At The Frontline Against Violent Crime

August 2008

https://web.archive.org/web/20111201022541/http://www.atf.gov/

Contact: ATF Public Affairs Division

(202) 648-8500
ATF National Response Team
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) developed the National Response Team (NRT) in 1978 to meet the challenges faced at the scenes of fire and explosives incidents by bringing together federal, state and local investigators and their resources.

Since its inception in 1978, the NRT has been activated more than 700 times.

The NRT is organized by region and can respond within 24 hours to initiate an investigation.
Worldwide Capability
ATF deploys its NRT and International Response Teams (IRT) to explosives and fire incidents throughout the country and around the world.

The NRT works in conjunction with and alongside state and local investigators to reconstruct the scene, identify the seat of the blast or origin of the fire and determine the cause. In the case of bombings and arson, NRT members gather evidence to support criminal prosecutions. A deployed team is generally broken down into two components: a group that processes the scene and an investigative-lead element. In the course of the overall investigation, both components maintain a constant dialog to ensure investigative continuity.
Composition of Teams
Each NRT consists of veteran special agents, including certified explosives specialists; certified fire investigators; forensic mappers and schematic artists, and accelerant and explosives detection canine teams. Other members of the team include explosives enforcement officers (EEO) and laboratory personnel to include fire protection engineers, electrical engineers and forensic chemists. All special agents are experienced explosives and fire investigators who have worked numerous fire or explosives scenes and have extensive training.

The NRT is comprised of 119 special agents and EEOs, 18 laboratory personnel and 11 supervisors.

The NRT is supported by a fleet of fully equipped response vehicles that are strategically located throughout the United States and allow the NRT to be self-contained for the forensic examination of explosives and fire scenes.
Responses
The NRT has responded to such incidents as the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in 2001; the Vail Mountain, Colo., fires in 1998; the Birmingham, Ala., abortion clinic bombing in 1998; the Otherside Lounge bombing in Atlanta, Ga., in 1997; the Atlanta Olympics bombing in 1996; the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995; the World Trade Center bombing in 1993; the Alabama church arsons in 2006; and the Super Sofa furniture store fire in Charleston, S.C. in 2007 that resulted in the deaths of nine firefighters.

The NRT continues to assist with national special security events, including presidential inaugurations, the Super Bowl, the Olympics, Republican and Democratic national conventions, the G-8 Summit and World Trade Organization conferences.

For more information on ATF’s programs, please visit the website at https://web.archive.org/web/20111201022541/http://www.atf.gov/.

###