MCFRS Bomb Squad Engineers 100 Beeping Easter Eggs for Blind and Visually Impaired Children

A father’s solution to help his blind daughter participate in an Easter Egg hunt is spreading across the United States thanks to the efforts of military and law enforcement members.

David Hyche’s daughter was 4 months old when she lost her vision and has been the motivation behind his research and passion to manufacture “audible” Easter eggs. His work as an ATF agent inspired him to tweak designs until he had eggs equipped with beepers so his daughter and others with vision loss could participate in egg hunts.

When he showed off his beeping eggs at a convention for bomb technicians, the association thought it would be a great initiative for their members. That’s how the Rachel Project got started and every year military and law enforcement members donate their time and skills to build the eggs for other children with visual impairments. Members of Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service Bomb Squad is proud to participate in this year’s event and have been busy constructing over 100 beeping eggs for this month’s special events.

Who is behind this project? Lt. Phil Baker is the quiet (and humble) force behind the MCFRS Team who has worked closely with the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind, Ace Hardware in Brunswick and others key partners and organizations. It is definitely a case of “what’s on the inside that counts” and for Montgomery County’s Bomb Squad — they are all heart. The “beeping eggs” are used year-round to help children develop navigational skills and confidence.

“The Montgomery County Bomb Squad is honored to partner with the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind.  This charitable project was initiated and led by Montgomery County Bomb Technician, Lieutenant Phil Baker who was inspired to create beeping Easter eggs after reading about the nationwide event founded by the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators (IABTI). The event has grown in popularity and the building of these eggs has become an annual event for bomb squads across the country. The Montgomery County Bomb Squad built over 100 beeping eggs and will be delivering them to the members of the visually impaired and blind community and the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind.” 

 

                        -Captain Andrew Gettig, Acting Bomb Squad Commander

Learn more about “The Rachel Project” (read about it here).


Courtesy of MCFRS

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