Emergency Services

Special Response Team

Since 1989, the Department’s Special Response Team has provided a ready response to situations that were beyond the capabilities of normally trained and equipped Department personnel.  Since inception, the Special Response Team has safely handled numerous armed barricaded individuals, arrested scores of violent suspects, and assisted with many high-risk warrants.

The Special Response Team is comprised of eleven officers from all areas of the Department.  The team also includes six members of the Bangor Fire Department as Tactical Medics. 

The team has acquired specialized equipment over the years.  A SRT/EOD truck was recently purchased.  This truck transports tactical members and equipment as well as the Bomb Squad to calls for service.  The truck also houses the Remotec Robot that is used for both tactical and explosive calls.

Crisis Negotiators

The Bangor Police Department Crisis Negotiation Team is composed of four FBI trained negotiators and a supervising Sergeant.  Negotiators can be drawn from anywhere within the Department. 

The team was originally developed to support the Special Response Team's work in resolving potentially violent situations involving hostages and barricaded individuals.  However, the team's original function has expanded to the resolution of other conflicts, mental health crises, suicide threats, and similar situations.  Since its inception, the team has proven to be invaluable in assisting other members of the Department and neighboring agencies in resolving potentially dangerous situations.

The Crisis Negotiation Team has access to a mobile Direct Link phone system that allows the Negotiators to communicate with individuals who may otherwise not be accessible. Due to changing times the team has had to adapt to the way they negotiate through the use of cell phones, texting, and other technological media. This has both strengthened and sometimes hampered negotiations. Negotiators try to attend a Crisis Negotiators Conference yearly.

Negotiations play an important part in today's police work by providing another tool to avoid violence and avert threats to our citizens.

Bomb Squad

Bangor has one of the few fully equipped and trained Bomb Squads in the State.  As a result, the Department is able to respond to any potential threats in Bangor and, on request, in surrounding areas.  This highly trained five member squad operates with a full range of sophisticated modern equipment, including a robot.

The Bomb Squad is accredited by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Robot Team

Bangor received federal funding to purchase our REMOTEC Andros F6A robot. The Andros F6A is a multi-purpose remote controlled robot used to augment the EOD technician by performing remote reconnaissance, access, render safe, “pick up and carry away”, and disposal during extremely hazardous explosive ordnance missions.  It also assists the Special Response Team (SRT) by performing remote reconnaissance, surveillance, access, and other necessary roles.

Training – The ANDROS F6A is used at incident sites that are extremely hazardous, or at which the hazards are unknown.  As a result, we train monthly, testing our abilities and learning the limitations of the robot.  Training ranges from drills to test the fine manipulation of the mechanized arm to dragging an injured officer from the line of fire. 

Operation – The robot is operated from a remote console.  A fiber optic cable direct the robot's steering, arm control, video, Pan Disrupters, x-ray 37-mm cannon, and shotgun.   This unit can also be used to respond to chemical spills, hazardous materials work, and even exposure to radioactive materials.

The ANDROS F6A robot system has been designed with a number of safety features to protect personnel, facilities, equipment, and the robot from injury or damage due to accidents. However, the vehicle is heavy, remotely controlled, and is capable of causing damage if it is not operated properly. The operator must adhere strictly to safety precautions.