ROMULUS, Mich. – Most people don’t even know there is an elite team dedicated to detecting explosives at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.
It’s a big job, and the explosive detection specialists at Detroit Metro Airport understand and appreciate the high stakes of their mission.
The “call to serve” that inspired so many of them to begin their careers in the military also motivates them in this role. Local 4 is taking you behind the scenes to show you the work done to keep you and your family safe.
“There’s very few of us,” said Kiernan Dollars, a TSA Explosive Specialist. “There’s like, I don’t know, maybe 600-700 of us in the whole country. We’re like the next layer of security.”
Local 4 got exclusive access to how these experts keep you safe. They stay busy -- there were more than 2,000 calls at DTW in 2023 that they had to respond to.
After the failed shoe bomber in 2001, there is extra attention given to footwear.
“So we have your explosive powder underneath with basically it’s time for us and a detonator,” said Cory Sullenberger, a supervisor with TSA’s Explosive Unit. “And that’s what he had an issue trying to come through.”
But that’s not all that can grab attention.
“There’s shoes that have Fitbits built into them, there’s batteries in them, there’s electronics in them, there’s lights in shoes. Some manufacturers just the foam from one shoe to the next is different,” Sullenberger said. “One shoe is made with one foam, and they had a different mold or different batch and they look different densities in my alarm, two different shoes.”
We all know laptops are of concern, but some explosives can appear to look like potato chips or Mackinac Fudge and such items could get specialists called for an inspection because they look similar when X-rayed.
“I can’t tell looking at the X-ray whether this is C-4 or fudge,” Sullenberger said. “So I have to get eyes on I have to do some tests.”
A machine can tell the chemical breakdown of what’s inside a bottle, revealing if it’s apple juice or hydrogen peroxide.
Other items, such as toys, could be double-checked. Experts look for evidence that electronics could be tampered with, such as missing screws or the weight of the item feeling off.
Officials said new technology is making a difference in detecting potential threats.
“So far this year, there’s been over 600 calls. So we’re on pace to exceed last year’s numbers,” said Reggie Stephens, the TSA State of Michigan Federal Security Director. “We deploy 30 Computed Tomography X-rays across DTW, both at the McNamara and Evans terminals, and so what that has done is that enhances our level of security and improves our detection capabilities so that’s probably one of the reasons why we’re seeing more calls being made to our closest specialists.”
More information on what you can and cannot bring on an airplane can be found on the TSA’s official website here.