1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,040 Speaker 1: As we know, an unexploded ordnance has been recovered from 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:06,960 Speaker 1: Stokes Hill Wharf. It's understood that the bomb was discovered 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: near the barge ramp yesterday afternoon. Police evacuated people from 4 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: the area and blocked off road access, with the Defense 5 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:17,279 Speaker 1: Force brought into dismantle it. Now joining me on the 6 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: line is Warrant Officer Kyle Johnson. Good morning to you, Kyle. 7 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 2: Good morning, how are you? 8 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:24,479 Speaker 3: Yeah, really good? 9 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for your time. Now, I understand 10 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 1: that you led the response. Who made the discovery In 11 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 1: the first instance. 12 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 2: It was the contractors that are down there basically doing 13 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 2: the prep work for the new Cultural Senat that's to 14 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 2: be installed or built. 15 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, right, And so it was like, what was their response, 16 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: I suppose in the first instance from what you can gather, so. 17 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:52,840 Speaker 2: They actually had it in like the bucket of an excavator, 18 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 2: So you know, they're clearing the ground doing all that, 19 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 2: and they'll put in through a bucket that's a sifter 20 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 2: of separating separate rock sizes, and I think the operators 21 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 2: looked down and gone, well, that's an awfully weird looking 22 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:05,039 Speaker 2: rock and he's dropped it on the ground and they've 23 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 2: realized pretty quick that it could be a bomb or 24 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 2: something along those lines. They did the right thing. They 25 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 2: called the anti police police responded and we have a 26 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 2: pretty good relationship with them up here, and they caught 27 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 2: us in pretty much straight away. 28 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 3: And then what happened next, So we. 29 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:26,680 Speaker 2: Got the phone calls here at work, We're just going 30 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,480 Speaker 2: about our normal day business. They're just doing licenses and whatnot, 31 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 2: and then basically got the pictures through going yeah, that's 32 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 2: definitely explosive ordnance, and we pretty much got in our vehicles, 33 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 2: grabbed an additional member from one brigade, the ones here's 34 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 2: the unit up here, grabbed him, drove into the city, 35 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 2: got their liais with the cops and the city contractor. 36 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 2: At this point, it still isn't classes as a bomb yet, 37 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 2: so I did my first approach once I got guys 38 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 2: on a new straight away what it was, went back, 39 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 2: we got on the computer, confirmed the type, and from 40 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 2: that point on where you know, we class as a 41 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 2: bomb and we started the police or the police started 42 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 2: to evacuate the area. 43 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, right, so everybody was obviously evacuated. I know, we 44 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: got calls here to the station. We've had messages about 45 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:15,640 Speaker 1: being evacuated this morning. But I guess every you know, 46 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: like every safety measure measure sort of has to be 47 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 1: followed through at this point because you really don't know 48 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: with some of these unexploded ordinance or bombs, exactly what's 49 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:27,640 Speaker 1: going to happen, do you. 50 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,399 Speaker 2: No, You're you're exactly right there. You never know. Even 51 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 2: though I didn't say get tossed around in a bucket, 52 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 2: that could have been the last straw for that fuse 53 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 2: or the reason. It could be the last step before 54 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 2: it explodes. So any sort of touching it could cause 55 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 2: that explosion. So our best practices are to what we do, 56 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 2: and the police call it this as well. But establish 57 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 2: according like an area where only central personnel are located, 58 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:50,359 Speaker 2: get all the civilians out, get all the workers out, 59 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 2: and then just basically occupy that area and conduct the 60 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 2: procedures we need to do from there to make the 61 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 2: area one hundred centation. 62 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, so then what you guys sort of have to 63 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: have to like detonated or what do you have to. 64 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:04,080 Speaker 2: Do sorry or that? 65 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: So what exactly then do you sort of you know, 66 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 1: do you have to dismantle it, what do you have 67 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: to do? 68 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:13,680 Speaker 2: It all depends on what it is in this case, 69 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,919 Speaker 2: here we go through there's a various amount of reasons 70 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 2: why something will function, so we make sure we don't 71 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 2: do any of those. We get what we call positive 72 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 2: ID on it, so you know, we draw it, we 73 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 2: take pictures of it, We go back and we read 74 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 2: some of our technical publications. We've got a little computer 75 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 2: that helps us we identify what it is basically what 76 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 2: makes it kick, and then from that point there we 77 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 2: come up with what we call a render faith procedure, 78 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 2: or a procedure we need to do to make the bomb. Say, 79 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 2: you know, that could be using a kinetic tool to 80 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 2: shoot a fuse off, using an explosive charge to shoot 81 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 2: a fuse off, or sometimes moving them by hand to 82 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 2: a location suitable for disposal. 83 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 3: Right, So what did you end up having to do yesterday? 84 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 3: Are you able to. 85 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 2: Say, yeah, I can get some detail. So we basically 86 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 2: age so the bomb was in a safe condition to move. 87 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 2: Once that was done and approval was granded, we actually 88 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 2: got pretty lucky. Being a construction site, there was you know, 89 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 2: a lot of excavators around, so they dug it to 90 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 2: a nice little hole about a meter eighty deep, and 91 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 2: they also filled us up two palets where the sandbags. 92 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 2: So yeah, we just basically moved it down that location, 93 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 2: put in the bottom of that covered it with about 94 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:27,479 Speaker 2: two tons worth of sandbags. We had moved them in 95 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:29,360 Speaker 2: three of us by hand. That was probably the most 96 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,719 Speaker 2: painful part of the day. Hooked up, looked up our explosives, 97 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 2: got everyone for a safe distance, made sure the cordon 98 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 2: was under control of emergency services were ready and able 99 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:42,040 Speaker 2: to respond, and then we basically Friday explosives, which caused 100 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 2: the UXO to explode as well, And was like. 101 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 3: Did it let off much of an explosion? Yeah? 102 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 2: It did. Yeah, It's obviously not like the movies, you know, 103 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 2: where you see a massive fireball go up and all 104 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:57,360 Speaker 2: that sort of stuff. But it lifted about three tons 105 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:00,080 Speaker 2: where the sandbags probably a good thirty forty meters in 106 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,599 Speaker 2: the air and through them out like parallel to the 107 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 2: ground about booty manders as well. So wow, wouldn't want 108 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:07,200 Speaker 2: to be standing on it. Put it that way. 109 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:09,800 Speaker 1: No, that's exactly right, And that's why it's so important 110 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: that all those safety procedures are indeed followed, because while 111 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 1: you know, while it might be able to take a 112 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:18,280 Speaker 1: bit of knocking around like you'd said before that might 113 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 1: be the last sort of straw. 114 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 3: For it, and you don't want that going off around people. 115 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 2: No, exactly right, And we're fortunate up here in Dale 116 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 2: where ninety nine percent of people do the right thing 117 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:32,040 Speaker 2: they identified as possibly something dangerous and then they will 118 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:34,800 Speaker 2: call the police, and then the police will obviously call us. 119 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 2: So a majority of people one hundercent and contractors do 120 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:39,840 Speaker 2: the right thing or the police call us up, we 121 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 2: come in, do what we've got to do and get 122 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 2: rid of it. 123 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 3: Kyle. It's wild, isn't it what we see in Darwin? 124 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: You know, like you think to yourself, imagine this being 125 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 1: another capital city and saying this and unexploded ordnance and 126 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,159 Speaker 1: people will be like, what what do you mean? That 127 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: was near the wharf? But I guess our history is 128 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: so rich that. 129 00:05:57,040 --> 00:05:57,719 Speaker 3: We know why. 130 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly right. So obviously every area in Australia is 131 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:04,719 Speaker 2: a bit of a unique history. But just a quick 132 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 2: start I can give you's day. We average about four 133 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 2: hundred and twenty jobs across Australia each year, with actually 134 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 2: a majority of those being in New South Wales and Queensland, 135 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:17,159 Speaker 2: so they get a lot as well. But when I 136 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 2: say jobs. The type of job may very we get Lobo, 137 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:24,039 Speaker 2: see your Japanese, your World War two up here in 138 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 2: those locations down south, they may get like to seize 139 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 2: the states who have grenades or training areas where back 140 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 2: in World War Two the soldiers conducted training and left 141 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:37,680 Speaker 2: unexploded ordinance in those locations through no follow their own right. 142 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 3: So interesting, your job sounds very interesting. 143 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 2: Ka oh, thank you. Anyone can join. We're welcome to that. 144 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:48,240 Speaker 2: People join up, ammunition technicians. 145 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:50,840 Speaker 1: I love it, mate, Thank you so much for having 146 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 1: a chat with us this morning. I really appreciate it, 147 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: and I reckon our listeners would have found that very fascinating. 148 00:06:57,120 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 3: Awesome. No, thanks mate, very much, appreciate it.