Has the issue of a single point of reporting for Arson & Explosives Incidents for Law Enforcement and Firefighting Authorities been resolved?

Yes. BATS serves as the Nation’s Nation’s repository for information pertaining to bombing, explosives and arson incidents, as mandated by statute and Attorney General directive. In addition, ATF and FBI recently joined in support of efforts by the National Bomb Squad Commanders Advisory Board (NBSCAB) on the issue of explosives incident reporting by bomb technicians. ATF and the FBI jointly endorse and support the use of BATS. Additionally, BATS has been endorsed by the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators (IABTI), the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI), NBSCAB, and supported by the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC).

In August 2010, the Deputy Attorney General's Office directed the FBI and ATF to ensure that all state and local law enforcement that partner with FBI and ATF in explosives investigations, report in BATS, in order to be a "comprehensive" database. BATS is also part of the national curriculum at the Hazardous Devices School (bomb technicians) at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama and the National Fire Academy's Fire/Arson Origin-and-Cause Investigations course in Emmitsburg, MD. In addition, BATS is part of the FBI's Model for Bomb Squad Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Last Reviewed September 23, 2016