The Queensland Police Service Explosive Ordnance Response Team (EORT) is celebrating 40 years of protecting Queenslanders since its official formation on October 10, 1983.
QPS EORT, Australia’s largest full-time explosives squad, is responsible for protecting Queensland from the threat of explosive-related incidents, including improvised explosive devices (IED) and other improvised hazards.
EORT has a close relationship with the ADF and works closely with interstate bomb response units, Queensland Fire and Emergency Service, the Queensland Explosives Inspectorate and Queensland Health.
EORT is based in Brisbane and includes both bomb technicians and explosive detection dog handler teams and supports three regional bom response teams in Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton.
Senior Sergeant Mark Smith, Officer in Charge of EORT says “our team relies on great people, who are well-trained, with good equipment, with the support and partnership of our families and other state and commonwealth agencies and industry.”
The team celebrated the anniversary on Friday, October 13 with an event at the historic United Services Club in Brisbane.
The cake was defused by retired Senior Sergeant Geoff Zeith (Australia’s longest serving operational bomb technician) and Senior Constable Sam McNamara, EORT’s newest bomb technician.
