Members of the the Los Alamos Police Department Bomb Squad arrived at the scene of a suspicious package this morning near Metzger’s at 15th Street and Central Avenue. The Bomb Squad rendered the item safe after determining it was a lunch box someone left behind. The Los Alamos Bomb Squad is an FBI Certified Bomb Squad. Membership in the bomb squad is voluntary and applicants must undergo a rigorous competitive testing process prior to being selected for service on the squad. Cmdr. Preston Ballew commands the LAPD Bomb Squad. LAPD Bomb Technicians receive training and certification at the FBI’s Hazardous Devices School (HDS) at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala. They receive hundreds of hours of additional advanced training and are required to attend recertification training and testing at HDS every three years. LAPD Bomb Squad has jurisdictional authority to respond to all potential bombing incidents within the region, including Los Alamos County and the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The LAPD Bomb Squad is tasked with providing a regional response capability for bombing incidents in Northern New Mexico and may also be called to assist other bomb squads throughout New Mexico as well as Southern Colorado and the four corners area. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com

Scene of members of the the Los Alamos Police Department Bomb Squad at the scene of a suspicious package this morning near Metzger’s at 15th Street and Central Avenue. The Bomb Squad rendered the item safe after determining it was a lunch box someone left behind. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com

Scene of members of the the Los Alamos Police Department Bomb Squad at the scene of a suspicious package this morning near Metzger’s at 15th Street and Central Avenue. The Bomb Squad rendered the item safe after determining it was a lunch box someone left behind. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com