The Hazardous Devices Unit was founded by Captain Jimmy Pierce, who served in the US Navy during the Vietnam War. His time in the military gave him extensive knowledge in the handling of explosives. Captain Pierce would later be joined in the Hazardous Devices Unit by Captain Mike “Moose” Murray in 1983. 

 

Captain Murray trained with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company at Fort Brag, NC. He then attended the Hazardous Device School at Redstone Arsenal military base in Huntsville, AL in July of 1984. He would go on to become the bomb squad commander of the Raleigh Police Department.

 

The Hazardous Devices Unit was accredited by the FBI on April 1, 1999. Captains David Linthicum and Michael Bruce attended the FBI’s Hazardous Devices School together and graduated in September of 2001. Captain Linthicum became bomb squad commander in April of 2010. Captain Bruce replaced Linthicum in November of 2014.

 

On July 27, 2015, six new members were appointed by Chief Deck-Brown after a formal selection process was conducted.  The members were Raul Cardoza, Michael Curci, Christopher Gay, Jason Harrelson, John Heinrich, and James Taylor.

 

Since being added to the unit, Chris Gay (April 2016), James Taylor (December 2016), Raul Cardoza (December 2017), and John Heinrich (May 2019) have successfully completed Hazardous Device School and are currently certified public safety bomb technicians—replacing Dave Linthicum, Gerry Davis, Mike Bruce, and Ed Neville.

 

Captain James Taylor replaced a retiring Captain Mike Bruce as the bomb squad commander in July of 2017.