The Butte County Inter-Agency Bomb Squad is a regional response team. Participating agencies include the Butte County Sheriff's Office and the Chico Police Department. The four member team is administered through the Sheriff's Office
The bomb squad is recognized by the FBI as one of the 467 accredited bomb squads across the USA. There are approximately 3,100 civilian Bomb Techs in the United States. Each bomb squad member is a graduate from the Hazardous Devices School located at the US Army base (Redstone Arsenal) in Huntsville Alabama.
The initial bomb tech training consists of six weeks of intensive hands-on training. The training covers topics such as: the identification, use and safe handling of explosives, operating in chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear environments, robotics and disposal. After the initial training, bomb squad members are required to keep proficient with their skills during monthly training opportunities and re-certification every three years
The bomb squad is responsible for responding to situations related to explosives in the surrounding 5 county regions. These situations include the identification and rendering safe of hazardous devices, improvised explosive devices (IED's), and suspicious packages. The bomb squad also provides education for law enforcement and public groups in the local area.