The National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) is probably the best single resource for an agency considering the formation of a tactical team or concerned about the effectiveness of an existing team. The NTOA president estimates the approximate start-up costs per officer at $6,000-7,000. A SWAT team requires a minimum of 10 members. Therefore, small agencies should adopt a regional approach involving multiple police agencies in the area. Careful selection of team members is crucial. Ongoing training is a significant budget consideration. The NTOA recommends 2 training days per month for agency SWAT teams. Important training topics are stealth entries and working with crisis negotiators. Enhanced training of patrol officers who are first responders is a new area of training in response to trends in shooting incidents. In addition, a recent tactical trend supports the idea of better equipping the first responder. Photograph