We design custom challenge coins for sheriff’s office bomb squads, bomb tech teams, and regional task forces. Every project comes with free artwork and unlimited revisions from our veteran-owned shop.
Coins for Civilian Bomb Squads
Sheriff’s offices and metropolitan police departments across the country run accredited bomb squads, and many of these units are joint efforts between a sheriff’s office and a fire district, staffed by certified hazardous device technicians from both agencies. We build law enforcement challenge coins for units like these everywhere.
Loudoun County’s bomb squad, for example, is a joint task force between the county’s Fire Marshal’s Office and Sheriff’s Office, each contributing personnel to a single unit.
Most squads also participate in a regional bomb technician task force alongside neighboring squads, often working with the ATF and FBI as well.
Nevada’s Northern Nevada Bomb Technicians Task Force is a good example of how far that reach can extend, pulling together personnel from multiple county sheriff’s offices, city police departments, a fire district, and federal partners into one response team.
That structure means a single squad can represent two or three separate agencies, each with its own reason to commission a coin. A coin built for a bomb squad can reflect any part of that structure, the squad itself, the parent agencies behind it, or the regional task force it belongs to.
What Does a Bomb Squad Do?
A bomb squad’s core work is rendering safe and disposing of improvised explosive devices, military ordnance, and commercially manufactured explosives. Technicians earn certification through the FBI’s Hazardous Devices School, a six-week course held at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, the only facility in the country that trains and certifies civilian public safety bomb technicians.
Accreditation for a squad itself typically comes through the FBI Bomb Data Center, working alongside standards set by the National Bomb Squad Commander’s Advisory Board.
The EOD Badge and Bomb Squad Symbolism
Many bomb techs, both civilian and military, recognize the EOD badge, sometimes called the “crab,” and its design carries real meaning.
- The wreath honors EOD personnel who died in the line of duty, and represents achievement in minimizing accident potential.
- The bomb at the center is copied from the WWII Bomb Disposal Badge, representing the unexploded ordnance at the heart of the mission.
- The three fins on the bomb stand for conventional, nuclear, and chemical or biological threats.
- The lightning bolts represent both the destructive power of the bomb and the courage of the personnel who face it.
- The shield represents the mission itself, protecting people and property from detonation.
For the full badge treatment and the three earned badge grades, see our military EOD challenge coins and Air Force EOD coins.
Humor on a Serious Coin
Bomb tech work carries real risk, and this coin doesn’t shy away from that with a somber design. Instead, the reverse carries a cartoon bomb character, round, with a lit fuse and a face.
That choice says something about the community. Units with the heaviest jobs often want the lightest coins, and a good design has to know when to let a client be funny rather than defaulting to serious imagery out of habit. The San Luis Obispo County Bomb Task Force wanted their coin to reflect who they are day to day, not just what they’re trained to handle.
About the SLO County Bomb Task Force Coin
This coin was commissioned by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office for the personnel of their Bomb Task Force.
One face carries the cartoon bomb character, framed by “San Luis Obispo County” and “Bomb Task Force” lettering. The other carries the unit’s crest, a sheriff’s star badge paired with a helicopter silhouette, lightning bolts, and a black ordnance shape, bordered by laurel wreath branches and a small secondary insignia, with “Making Big Things Small” lettered around the top and “Since 1982” around the bottom.
The coin is finished in gunmetal, with a diamond-cut pattern machined into the edge. Rather than a flat or beveled rim, each facet catches light differently as the coin turns, giving the edge a sharp, faceted shine that plays well against the gunmetal finish’s darker tone.
What Goes on a Bomb Squad Challenge Coin?
Bomb squad coins draw on a consistent set of design elements.
- Unit and agency logos, tying a coin to a specific squad or department.
- EOD badge imagery, referencing the broader bomb tech tradition.
- Bomb suits and robots, reflecting the tools of the job.
- County and regional identifiers, for coins built around a specific area.
- Task force names, for coins representing a multi-agency unit.
- Memorial elements, honoring personnel lost in the line of duty.
- Humor, where the unit wants it.
These elements aren’t fixed. Other task force challenge coins can be custom-made to include any idea, symbol, wording, and imagery specific to your squad.
Design a Coin for Your Squad
Whether you’re representing a sheriff’s office bomb squad, a fire district partner, or a regional task force, we can help you build custom shaped coins around it.
- Free professional artwork
- Unlimited design revisions
- Veteran-owned and operated
Tell us about your squad or task force, and request a free quote to get started on your coin.
Finished Coin (Front)
Finished Coin (Back)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a bomb squad challenge coin?
A bomb squad challenge coin is a custom coin built for a bomb squad, bomb tech team, or regional task force, often marking the unit’s own identity and traditions.
What is the FBI Bomb Data Center?
The FBI Bomb Data Center works alongside the National Bomb Squad Commander’s Advisory Board to set national accreditation standards for public safety bomb squads.
What is a hazardous device technician?
A hazardous device technician is a certified bomb tech who has completed the FBI’s Hazardous Devices School, the national training course for civilian public safety bomb squads.
What is the difference between a bomb squad and EOD?
Bomb squads are civilian law enforcement units, typically under a sheriff’s office or police department. EOD refers to military explosive ordnance disposal units, with a separate training pipeline.
What does the EOD badge mean?
The badge combines a wreath, a bomb, three fins, lightning bolts, and a shield, each representing a different part of the mission and its history.
Do sheriff’s offices order challenge coins for their bomb squads?
Yes. Bomb squads commonly commission their own coins, often alongside coins for the parent agencies and regional task forces they work with.
Can a coin be made with a diamond-cut edge?
Yes. A diamond-cut edge is machined directly into the coin’s rim, adding a faceted texture that catches light differently than a standard smooth or reeded edge.
What goes on a bomb squad challenge coin?
Common elements include unit and agency logos, EOD badge imagery, bomb suits and robots, regional identifiers, and task force names.
Can our coin design include humor?
Yes. Plenty of bomb squads choose lighter, character-driven imagery alongside their official insignia, and we’re happy to build a design around that.
What is the minimum order?
Reach out with your project details and we’ll confirm current order requirements with you directly.
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