Miss. SWAT Units Train in High Temperatures

Aug. 08--Each month some of the most elite tactical units in law enforcement practice their skills at the Meridian-Lauderdale County Public Training Facility.

The last few weeks SWAT members with the Meridian Police Department, and the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department have been at the facility on Sandflat Road for the required monthly training -- with the added challenge of battling temperatures that called for a National Weather Service heat advisory.

The Meridian Police Department SWAT consists of 16 officers, said Sgt. William Brunelle, with the Meridian Police Department Training Division. The team also includes a doctor and paramedic who donate their time to service as SWAT members.

"Members are required to attend monthly training, be on call, and be available 24 hours a day," Brunelle said. "We train eight hours a month concentrating on shooting, high risk entry tactics, hostage rescue, and long range precision rifle skills.

"Each member wears and carries an additional 40 to 50 pounds of gear, which makes for very strenuous training, especially in this heat."

The heat index at the end of last week reached 110.

Lauderdale County Chief Deputy Ward Calhoun said not having a SWAT team would limit ones ability to handle high risk situations that require additional training.

"Without that option we would have to call another agency, city or state for assistance, and that would require additional time that you don't have."

The sheriff's department has 13 SWAT members, with four trained as snipe shooters, Calhoun said.

"There have been a few times where a situation called for a snipe shooter, but mostly we train for serving high risk warrants, such as search warrants with the drug task force," Calhoun said. "But, it's driven by decisions base off the known risk that you might have at that particular location."

Copyright 2016 - The Meridian Star, Miss.