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SWAT Teams Takes on Fire and Smoke

NCJ Number
194286
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 25 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2001 Pages: 12-14,16
Author(s)
Kevin Danaher
Date Published
December 2001
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes how tactical teams learn from firefighters how to survive a blaze.
Abstract
While most tactical teams spend hours training on movement, tactics, and firearms proficiency, they spend little time dealing with the dangers of fire and explosives. The article suggests that Special Weapons and Tactical (SWAT) teams assess their fire preparedness in the following areas: (1) protective clothing and equipment--including uniforms, helmets, eye protection, gloves, footwear, and Balaclavas; (2) department munitions--to ensure they don't become the problem, since some are highly flammable, and some are burning-type devices with a strong likelihood of causing a fire; (3) knowledge of what hazardous materials are present in a target location; and (4) preparation and training for operations in a smoke environment. The article briefly describes the 10-year-old partnership between the Tucson, AZ, Police Department and the Tucson Fire Department. The fire department provides specialized training for the SWAT team, has a supervisory fire official respond to every major callout to monitor the situation and send in the appropriate equipment, and deploys the department's recovery vehicle to provide relief and basic medical services to SWAT officers.