Bomb Scare
 
By General Member Carlos Ambrosini
May 23, 2015
 

At 1528, E511B was dispatched for a possible bomb at Manassas Battlefield Visitors Center. Park Rangers stated that it was not in the actual visitors center but about 200 feet outside in the field adjacent to the building. E511B advised dispatch to have Manassas NVCC campus evacuated as a precautionary measure.

When E511B arrived on scene they assisted in traffic control and in evacuating the battlefield and the Center were as well. Battlefield Command was established momentarily by E511B officer then was quickly turned over to BC501Z.

The actual ordinance was about 12 inches long, missile shaped. The device had been found in the tree line off a trail in an old trench line by a child, who brought the ordinance to his father who then in turn brought it to the visitors center. Virginia State police bomb squad was called to make the device safe. Command sent a firefighter from E511B and a Ranger to accompany the Park superintendent to the original spot where the device was found to see if there were any secondary devices that needed attention as well. No other devices were found.

VSP arrived and determined that the ordinance was a World War I training round and was safe to handle but to be cautious they were going to take it and have it examined further before returning it to the Battlefield for them to display the artifact.

 
Units: E511B, M504, BC501Z, PWC PD, VSP, NVCC PD, Park Ranger, FM529