Tenn. SWAT Team is Backed by Group of Paramedics During Every Call

If you look at a photo of the Chattanooga Police Department's SWAT team, you'll see a heavily armed group of officers wearing protective gear and poised to rush to the site of any hostage-taking situation in the area.

SWAT stands for "special weapons and tactics," and that's what the elite team is supposed to do, use special gear and tactics to deal with the most difficult situations local police officers might face.

But look more closely at the photo and you'll notice three or four people wearing full gear but carrying no weapons.

They're among the least-known members of the team — a small group of local doctors and paramedics who accompany the team to provide fast medical care for any officer who is wounded or injured. For team members, that anonymity is just fine.

"We really like to be behind the scenes," said Adam Royer, one of the team's emergency medical technicians, who spends most of his days managing Erlanger's operating rooms as administrator for surgical services. "We don't want to take credit. They're the ones out there running at the bullets."

But while Royer may be humble, his fellow SWAT team members aren't shy about praising the medical team.

"I can't stress the level of their dedication, and we are thankful we have individuals who are willing to come over and assist us," said Sgt. Toby Hewitt, assistant police SWAT commander. His team appreciates "having immediate medical aid right there on hand to preserve life and health," Hewitt said.

Normal ambulance crews are not expected to risk their lives by entering a dangerous situation, said Tony Sylvester, the medical team leader for the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office SWAT team.

"Most people succumb to injuries from uncontrolled hemorrhaging [bleeding]," Sylvester said. "Us being right there, we can provide care in a more timely manner."

SWAT team medics also treat injured civilians, and may advise officers on negotiating with a suspect who is holding an injured hostage, Sylvester said. They also focus on medical problems SWAT team leaders may forget in a crisis, such as worrying about officers suffering from heat exhaustion.

The medical staffers wear the same clothing as other SWAT team members, with body armor, helmets and gas masks, so they have some protection if they need to get close in a dangerous situation.

There is one major difference between the city and county medical teams — the county team is armed. All of the county medical staffers are also qualified as reserve officers and are allowed to carry weapons. The city has no comparable program, so the SWAT team medics are not armed, Royer said.

Medical team members rarely need to draw a weapon. Instead, the doctors and paramedics train SWAT team members in first aid, or treat injuries suffered during training. Both Sylvester and Royer used the analogy of a sports team doctor, whose primary job is to keep the team in good health.

"Ninety percent of our job is keeping the athlete healthy," Royer said, "and a small portion is actually going out on calls, and an even smaller portion is providing medical support while out there."

"SWAT team members are like a college or pro football team running back," Sylvester said. "We see sprained ankles, and minor lacerations."

Neither the city nor the county SWAT teams are full-time jobs, so the medical staffers all have other employment. Sylvester is a lieutenant in charge of special operations for Hamilton County EMS. All of the police SWAT medics work at Erlanger.

The SWAT team work is clearly more than just a job.

Having medical staffers "helps tremendously with the team," Sylvester said. "It is one less thing they don't have to worry about, and that is pretty rewarding. It's nice to know a group of guys depend on you."

Contact staff writer Steve Johnson at 423-757-6673, sjohnson@times freepress.com, on Twitter @stevejohnsonTFP, and on Facebook, www.face book.com/noogahealth.

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