PIKESVILLE, Md. — Most people know the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office for investigating fires, arson and explosions, but the agency also has a specialized dive team trained to deal with explosive threats beneath the water.
Members of the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Underwater Hazardous Devices Team, or UHDT, recently traveled to Florida for recertification training on the VIPER underwater rebreather system.
The specialized equipment allows explosive ordnance disposal divers to operate underwater for longer periods and at greater depths while reducing the telltale bubbles produced by conventional scuba equipment.
That ability can be critical when divers are searching for or responding to suspected explosive devices in maritime environments.
Three new members of the Maryland team also earned their initial VIPER certifications during the training, expanding the number of personnel qualified to use the specialized systems.
A Specialized Team Few Marylanders Know About
The Underwater Hazardous Devices Team operates within the State Fire Marshal’s Special Operations Section and works alongside the agency’s bomb technicians.
State Fire Marshal records show the underwater team dates back to 2012, when the agency used grant funding to train and equip four bomb technician divers with specialized underwater equipment.
The team has grown considerably since then.
According to the Office of the State Fire Marshal’s 2025 annual report, UHDT was composed of nine members from multiple partner agencies, with canine handlers and drone pilots also supporting operational responses and preventive security missions.
The team is designed to respond when the hazards bomb technicians normally encounter on land move below the surface.
Maryland bomb technicians are trained through the FBI’s Hazardous Devices School and respond statewide to suspicious packages, recovered explosives and major explosive incidents. The State Fire Marshal lists the Underwater Hazardous Devices Team as one of the specialized training opportunities available to its bomb technicians.
From Major Security Events To The Key Bridge Collapse
The team is not limited to training exercises.
In 2025 alone, UHDT conducted 11 deployments across Maryland and the National Capital Region, according to the State Fire Marshal’s annual report.
Those deployments included security support surrounding presidential inauguration activities, Fourth of July operations and other high-risk events in the Washington region.
The team has also been called into some of Maryland’s largest emergencies.
After the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in March 2024, the UHDT responded at the request of the Maryland State Police Dive Team.
Members deployed divers and a remotely operated underwater vehicle to search submerged bridge debris, assist with locating vehicles and examine the cargo ship involved in the collapse for indications the incident may have been intentional.
The team also supported underwater search and recovery operations following the Jan. 29, 2025, midair collision between a commercial aircraft and a military helicopter near Washington, D.C., working in freezing water, strong currents and other difficult conditions.
Training For The Next Call
Maintaining that capability requires continued certification and specialized training.
The State Fire Marshal reported that its underwater team conducted large-scale interoperability exercises in Baltimore waterways and at Deep Creek Lake during 2025, working with federal, state and local partners.
The recent Florida training continues that focus, with existing members renewing their VIPER qualifications and three newer members earning their certifications for the first time.
For a unit that may be called upon to locate an explosive device underwater, support a major security operation or enter submerged wreckage after a disaster, the equipment and training are designed for situations where ordinary dive operations are not enough.
It is one of the lesser-known capabilities housed within Maryland’s fire and emergency response system — a bomb squad that can take its mission beneath the surface.
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