Evolving tactics
A member of the Washington Regional SWAT team receives instruction during a weapons drill.
Washington Regional SWAT team members work on advancement techniques.
Courtesy of Cecil Township police Officer Keith Strain and Washington Regional SWAT
In this 2013 photo, Washington Regional SWAT team members work on clearing movements in a stairwell during a drill.
Members of the Washington Regional SWAT team practice advancing on a target during a movement drill.
A member of the Washington Regional SWAT team takes aim at a target during a recent drill.
Washington Regional SWAT team members clear a school bus as part of practicing bus entry during a recent drill.
When the team was formed 20 years ago, members sold hot dogs outside a Washington grocery store to raise money for needed equipment like ballistic vests, radios and weapons.
How times have changed.
Today, the Washington Regional SWAT team not only has the support of local communities but Washington County and business leaders as evidenced by fundraising efforts over the last few months, including an expected allocation of more than $90,000 from Washington County’s local share money.
When the team first formed in 1990 as the Critical Emergency Response Team, it included officers from the city of Washington and North Franklin and South Strabane townships.
After becoming a regional unit and changing its name to Washington Regional SWAT team on May 28, 2009, the team added members from Canonsburg, and Cecil and North Strabane townships as well as the Washington County sheriff’s office. There are about 30 officers on the team’s roster. SWAT stands for Special Weapons and Tactics.
“By regionalizing, we are able to operate on a much larger scale,” said Ronald Aiello, team leader and Washington police sergeant. He has been with the team for more than 20 years. “We are always training for high-risk situations, such as a barricaded gunman, warrant service or hostage rescue.”
“The increased manpower allows us to have members who specialize in certain areas so we can do the job better and hopefully safer,” he added. “Everyone has been trained in generalized SWAT tactics but we also have members training as a breaching team, sniper team and negotiating team.”
Since taking over as director of the Washington County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force about a year ago, Rick Gluth has taken advantage of the team’s expertise at least three times while serving high-risk search or arrest warrants.
“We assess the situation and determine if it is a high-risk entry that would raise the level of threat,” Gluth said. “We do the investigation into the criminal activity and they do the tactical entry work. Once they are in, they turn it back over to us to secure the suspects and search the property.”
“I will probably be using them more frequently,” Gluth said. “They do an outstanding job.”
Using the team during warrant services, Aiello said, helps ensure the safety of the residents living in that area as well as those involved in serving the warrant.
The team trains monthly and has an annual week-long session. Some members also seek their own specialized training.
“We try to use scenarios that are as realistic as possible so we can be prepared for about anything,” Aiello said. “And the reason we want to make it so realistic is that we want to find out what works and what doesn’t so we know what to do when we really need it.
“After going out on a mission, when we come back we evaluate to see what we can do better,” he added. “We want to know the best way to handle certain incidents.”
The team also has worked with local school districts to train for situations such as an active shooter in a school building.
Not only do they train on their own, but Aiello said they have also worked with other SWAT teams including those from Pittsburgh, Port Authority of Allegheny County, and the South Hills and North Hills.
“We could be called on by them for assistance or vice versa,” Aiello said. “Some of the larger departments have officers assigned specifically to running the SWAT team and then call in additional trained officers if there is an emergency.”
For the last several years, the team has worked with Washington County’s Department of Public Safety, which secured equipment through the Department of Homeland Security’s Region 13. Aiello said that department responds with its vehicles and equipment and assists with communications during an emergency to allow team members to talk with each other as well as any other team that may be called in.
“We are also bringing on a medical unit that will be part of the team,” Aiello said. “They are still training but they will know our tactics.”
“The advantage of having a medical team is that instead of waiting for a situation to be over, we want to be able to make extrication of an injured person at the scene more quickly and get them help,” he added.
The medical team will be under the direction of Dr. Robert Buckner of Canonsburg General Hospital. Team members will include emergency medical personnel from several agencies.
Outfitting the team is expensive. A tactical vest worn by each member, including those on the medical team, costs $2,000, Aiello said.
“We have to keep the equipment up to date. The equipment doesn’t last forever.”
Each department involved pays yearly dues to cover training and some equipment. The team has also received grants and recently held a fundraiser, receiving financial assistance from the business community. It also received approval for LSA money that will be used to purchase ballistic vests and specialized equipment and training.
Aiello said the team members are very dedicated, understanding the need to respond no matter when a call is received. On Thanksgiving, the team was called to Cecil Township for a possible hostage situation that ended up as a barricaded gunman. The situation was successfully resolved with the suspect taken into custody. The team also got a call New Year’s Day but was told to stand down before it responded.
“There has always been a need for this team,” Aiello said. “But what has happened lately, we find there is more acceptance of the need. We can’t wait for something to happen to be prepared. We train for the worst-case scenario and hope for the best.”