International IED training at New York State preparedness training center deemed success

Over the course of a week, the latest iteration of the Raven’s Challenge, an improvised explosive devices (IED) training exercise for state, federal, and international partners in public safety and military, gathered more than 100 personnel in New York’s Oneida County this month.

The State Preparedness Training Center, operated by the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, hosted the exercise.

“Protecting New Yorkers is our top priority and realistic training scenarios like these ensure our first responders have the skills they need to respond to a number of threats,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “The training offered at the Raven’s Challenge enables bomb technicians here in New York, as well as throughout the country and abroad, to sharpen their skills and better address potential threats.”

New York is one of four sites to host the exercise this year, alongside Florida, Oklahoma, and Utah. Funded by the Department of the Army and led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the program largely consisted of American public safety bomb squads and military explosive ordnance disposal teams. Attendees from Canada and Germany also participated.

The event was scenario-based, focusing on response tactics to the threats posed by explosive devices.