An inside look at the FBI Evidence Response Team

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Even for crime TV fans, activities like dusting for figure prints or using a blue light may seem unusual.

But for the Evidence Response Team (ERT) at the Springfield FBI Field Office, both are frequent activities.

"Our job on the scene is to best as we can gather what we think could be useful evidence, and then send it off to people who make that determination," said Special Agent Michael Maguire. "We look for our forensic identifiers like fingerprints or DNA, maybe hairs that they shed while they happen to be there."

The FBI Springfield Field Office invited WAND to try out some of the evidence collection activities the team uses. This included using a blue light to look for biological evidence, and dusting for fingerprints.

"You have to be absolutely diligent to say, 'I don't know the end, but I did everything I could.' So it takes people who are diligent, who are patient, and who are methodical and logical," said Agent Maguire.

Members of the ERT take intense safety precautions on scenes. They have to put on a first pair of gloves, then a Tyvek suit, and then duct tape the gloves to the suit to ensure nothing gets in or out of the suit. They then wear a second pair of gloves, a face mask, and eye protection, along with the hood of the Tyvek suit.

While this may lead to an uncomfortable environment, Agent Maguire says it's worth it to know the work can make a difference.

"You never know with certainty what the final assessment of that item or even that fingerprint is, you don't know the final value," said Agent Maguire. "Maybe it's nothing, but maybe that is the linchpin that ties a particular person to a location that makes the case and gets them convicted."

Local police departments can request the ERT assist them on particularly complicated or unique crime scenes.