SWAT school: Day Three

Day three and the final day of swat school was scenario training. They started with a basic call that escalated to needing to call SWAT. Each person would role play a different position that they normally didn't take so they could see what it was like for that person. For example, someone played the role of a negotiator, or a commander, or a patrol officer, or a hostage, or a bad guy. You get the idea. They did that most of the day.

They also had a discussion about current trends involving SWAT. What kind of calls they are responding to, how the global war on terrorism is spilling over into our communities, etc. That is pretty much it.

Although HF had been invited to train with the team during the last several months, most of the guys pretty much ignored him at first. As long as he didn't commit any weapons violations or speak when not spoken to, they tolerated his presence. It's normal for them to see new faces as they weed through potential guys for the team.  The command routinley invites officers to train with the team in an effort to find new members.  Once invited, an officer is expected to pull his own weight plus do all the other little things that are needed like being the "target monkey" or "clean up monkey," etc.  When you're in this phase, you have no opinion.  You have no voice, unless there's a safety issue, then you're expected to call out any safety violations you see.  Other than that, you're expected to pay attention and apply what you learn immediately.

 After a while you get a nickname which evolves over time.  HF's was "The F***."  Maybe it's just me, but I don't really understand how that could be a nickname. Things really changed one training day, when a team leader detonated a flash bang next to HF while he was shooting a dynamic qualification.  HF reacted well by not reacting and hitting his target.  After that they started calling him by his last name.  At the conclusion of this SWAT school, the team started calling him by his first name and he was formally invited to try out for the team.  Now HF will go through a selection process and if he passes, will be sent to another school for final basic training.  Once he finishes that, he'll be "deployable," and be able to go on his first call out.

Tryouts, or selection as they call it, happens sometime in January. Since completing the Police academy, HF has made it a point to maintain his fitness level and conducts regular circuit training; but now he's working to increase his physical strength and stamina to prepare for the selection testing. So in other words, he's going to "pump you up".  Right now he is sore and feeling the burn, but no gigantic biceps and pecs quite yet. . .