Hanscom Air Force Base was locked down on Thursday, and parts of the base were evacuated when trace explosives were detected on a moving truck causing an explosive scare that triggered state police and FBI bomb units into action.
Just after 9 a.m., everything unfolded when security stopped a Big Foot Moving and Storage truck for a routine inspection as it was about to enter the facility with a military members’ household goods to be delivered.
The delivery was expected and it was at this time that trace explosives were detected, which prompted a large operation that followed security protocol.
“Security Forces detected some potentially explosive material, which caused the base to put response actions in place,” Hanscom officials said in a statement. “Those actions included a temporary closure of the base’s Vandenberg (Rte 2A) Gate and evacuation of several nearby base facilities.”
The truck from Big Foot Moving and Storage was stopped at a gate to the base. (WBZ-TV)
The State Police bomb squad was called in and the truck was inspected for several hours. The all clear was given around 1 p.m. and base operations returned to normal.
“It was the right call by the U.S. Air Force and it was the right response,” said State Police Major Fran Leahy said during a press conference.
Hanscom Field commercial airport, which has a different entrance, remained open throughout the incident.
The driver of the truck remained on scene and has been “completely cooperative.”
Police said no one is suspected of a crime, but they are trying to determine how the residue got onto the truck.
State Police Sgt. William Qualls said “Cross contamination is more than likely”
No injuries were reported.
A perimeter had been set up extending 1,500 feet from the truck in all directions. But just after 1 p.m., the perimeter was reduced to 100 feet and the area was reopened a short time later.
While the situation thankfully was resolved with no injuries or serious issues, it was a good test for the Air Force Security and the State Police who followed their protocols and protected the public and the personnel at the base.
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