You never know what you might come across in the future. Active explosives probably aren’t something you think you’ll ever encounter in your everyday life, but this is a reality for some people. You need to know how to stay safe if you ever discover unexploded ordnance (UXO).
UXO may be more common than you think. For example, the military has transferred millions of acres of former munitions ranges for other uses throughout history, sometimes leaving explosives behind. While the military has been careful to remove most munitions from these areas, it stands to reason that they could have missed some, especially given the sheer scale of the land they need to cover.
Truth be told, this is a more likely problem abroad. Devices from a past war may lie undisturbed and unexploded in the ground. Sometimes explosives don’t go off when they’re supposed to, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t explode now. Unexploded bombs, mines and other munitions are a common problem in countries like Laos, and the U.S. is home to some of these old, forgotten explosives, too.
[Editor’s note: I believe Ukraine is having problems with explosive devices, and I’d imagine none of them expected such problems in their lifetimes.]
Moreover, terrorists may leave improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in public areas. This scenario isn’t as likely in the U.S., but it’s still possible.
Avoiding UXO
The best way to mitigate any crisis is to prevent one from happening in the first place. You don’t have control over where unexploded ordnance is, but you can take steps to avoid it.
For instance, you may encounter warning signs in some locations that government officials have put up to signify an old munitions range. If you see these keep away from the area and look for any other signage that might give you more information. Although it’s best to avoid the area entirely, if you must travel these areas, stay on designated trails.
Staying on the trail is also good advice for areas that aren’t marked. Forests and parks might contain old UXO in areas where people don’t thoroughly travel. If you stick to the designated trails, you’ll stay within explored parts of the land, which are less likely to contain any UXO.
Avoid tampering with the landscape too much when you’re out in a relatively unexplored area. Making campfires outside of designated areas, digging, or moving branches around could uncover or disturb UXO, potentially detonating them.
Stay informed about areas that may contain UXO. Even if you’re not in an old munitions range, things like erosion and the weather can push them into nearby areas. As an example, fishermen and beachgoers have found unexploded ordnance across the Lake Erie shoreline.
Of course, even if you do follow all these steps, you may run into UXO no matter how care you are. If you think you’ve come across unexploded ordnance, here’s what you should do.
Do Not Touch the Item!
The most important thing is that you do not touch, tamper or disturb the item in any way. Even if the object doesn’t turn out to be dangerous, it’s not worth taking the risk. As soon as you think you see UXO, stop where you are and inform anyone around you to do the same.
It may be tempting to get closer or handle the item to see if you can learn more or deactivate it yourself. As heroic as your intentions may be, this is far too risky. You don’t know what the object can do, if it’s sustained damage that makes it more dangerous, what could set it off, or how big of an explosion it could cause.
Don’t let appearances fool you, either. Even Civil War cannonballs have killed people in recent decades when they handled them. If the ordnance is well-made enough, it can keep air and moisture out of the interior, preserving the gunpowder inside. Consequently, even after decades, explosives can still be deadly.
Even if something appears mundane, don’t approach or touch anything suspicious. If you’re unsure if something is dangerous or not, treat it as if it is, just to be safe.
Explosives of any kind can be extremely dangerous and will require professional removal, so keep your distance. If there are other people around you, tell them the same. And, while it should go without saying, don’t let anyone touch the item, get closer to it, or throw anything at it.
Gather Information While Keeping Your Distance
Next, you want to learn as much as you can about the object while staying safe. The more you know, the more you can help the authorities who will come and dispose of the UXO. Different types of explosives require various disposal methods, so having more information will help bomb squads act as safely and effectively as possible.
Stay a good distance away as you record what you see. While you want to provide as much information as possible, it’s not worth potentially risking your life.
Write down what the object looks like, including any labels, numbers or other text you may be able to see. Take a couple of pictures of the UXO, too, as this can help explosive ordnance disposal teams identify it faster. Recording the location can help, too.
Get a good description of its state, too, not just its identifiers. Factors like age, wear or precarious positions could make the item more dangerous, requiring special attention. Deteriorating munitions could leak hazardous materials into the environment. It’s important to record these details so authorities can respond appropriately.
Remember that radio waves can set off some explosives, so be careful with your phone. While radio jammers are illegal across the country, you can account for this simply by putting your phone on airplane mode. If anyone else is in the same area, ask them to do the same.
You don’t want to call the authorities or text anyone yet, given the risk of radio waves. You should contact people once you’re a safe distance away, but while you’re near the device gathering information, avoid any wireless signals.
Mark the Area and Evacuate
After you have the info you need, it’s time to get away from the UXO. Your instinct may be to run away as quickly as possible, but that could cause more harm than good. You don’t know what else is in the area, and panic often hinders people’s decision-making abilities.
If the UXO is from an old munitions range or leftover from a conflict in the past, there could be others nearby. Running around or straying further into the area could cause you to encounter another explosive, even setting one off. The ground may also be unstable, so a step on the wrong tree branch could shift the ground and detonate the object.
If someone placed the explosive there intentionally, there could be hidden pressure plates or tripwires that could set it off. Since there are so many unknowns, retrace your footsteps and leave the way you came. If you were safe walking this far, it’s unlikely there’s anything in your trail that would detonate the UXO, but go slowly just in case.
If there are others around you, try to get their attention and reassure them to be calm. People may run or scatter in different directions if they’re panicking, which could accidentally set the UXO off. Remember that missing information can cause stress, so tell everyone what’s going on and instruct them to leave slowly and calmly the way they came, if possible.
As you walk away, mark the general area to help the bomb squad find it and warn others. You can place a hat or jacket where you were standing, tie some fabric to a branch or anything else to make the location stand out.
Remember, you want to mark the area, not the object itself. Don’t get any closer, and don’t fling any items near the UXO to try to identify its location. You may accidentally detonate it by hitting a pressure plate or disturbing the ground. Only mark places you’ve been already since these are likely safe.
Call the Authorities
Contact the authorities once everyone is out of harm’s way. No matter how much you’ve learned about handling weapons and emergencies, explosive disposal is a job for professionals. Bomb squads have advanced equipment like remote-controlled vehicles that have saved hundreds of lives by keeping people away from explosives.
Don’t worry about contacting a specific department. You want to get the word out as soon as possible, so just call 911. The dispatchers will contact the relevant teams or government departments to address the UXO as quickly and safely as possible.
Provide the police with all the information you have, then follow their instructions. They may want you to stay in the area so you can direct emergency response teams when they arrive, so don’t get in your car and go. Stay by the trailhead or other location a safe distance away until the authorities say you can go.
Remember to wait until you’re a safe distance from the UXO before calling to avoid setting it off with radio signals. You want to let people know as soon as possible, but you need to get to a safe distance first. In general, you should be safe if you’re at least 1,000 feet away, but shrapnel could still injure you, so take precations.
Inform Incomers
Finally, you should make sure anyone else coming into the area knows about the UXO, too. It takes around five to six minutes for police to arrive for their highest-priority calls on average. That’s plenty of time for someone else to stumble into the area where the explosive is.
If you’re on private land, attempt to contact the landowner and let them know. If you’re in a public space like a park, you should call the park ranger’s office or other relevant authority. They can then take steps to prevent others from entering the area. If you see anyone else walking in the direction of the UXO, stop them immediately.
Remember the 3 Rs
If you can’t remember all these steps in detail, you can use the “three Rs” to help. You can boil each of the three main considerations for UXO safety down to a word beginning with “R.” These are:
- Recognize
- Retreat
- Report
Remembering the three Rs of UXO safety can make it easier to know what to do in a crisis. Recognize the threat and where it is, retreat to safety, and report it to the authorities and anyone else who needs to know. Every other step in this list is just a specific instruction on how to follow through on one of these three principles.
Tips for Deescalating Situations With Other People
You may not be alone when you encounter UXO, and you can’t expect other people to know how to respond. Consequently, if you come across something suspicious with others around, take responsibility and direct them, so they know what to do.
The most important thing to remember with other people is to remain calm. Humans are wired to share emotional cues, so if someone sees you panicking, they’ll likely panic as well. That could endanger everyone, so take deep breaths, speak firmly and settle yourself.
Calmly describe the situation and the reasoning behind any of your instructions. The more information people have, the better they’ll be able to make the right choice and avoid panic. Consider your tone and volume, too. You want to be clear, but you want to avoid yelling at people or sounding too worried, which could cause a panic.
Lead by example, turning your phone on airplane mode first and refusing to step closer to the object. When evacuating, direct people back and be the last one to leave to make sure everyone exits safely.
These Steps Can Save Your Life
UXO may not be the most common hazard people come across, but it does happen. You never know when unexploded ordnance of any kind may show up, and it’s better to have the right knowledge and not need it than to need it and not have it. As with any other type of emergency, knowledge can save your life…and now you know how to stay safe if you’re even confronted with such an unexpected situation.
[Note: This is a guest post.]
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