BPD trained in special tactics

Armed with m4 Carbine assault rifles, the 21 member Critical Incident Response Team protects Bloomington with special weapons and tactics.

When fully equipped, more than 40 pounds are added to the body weight of each of the team members. Although the team is comprised of 15 law enforcement officers and six paramedics, BPD is the team’s primary administrative authority.

Sgt. Mick Williams has been on the critical response team for 12 years.

“We control day-to-day operational procedures, schedule training and specify operational procedures,” Williams said.

CIRT is always on call, but its services aren’t used often.

“It varies,” said BPD’s Capt. Tony Pope, adding that sometimes they’re needed only a handful of times.

The last operation CIRT was involved in was Jesse Jackson’s visit in January. Williams said CIRT was responsible for his transport and security, along with minimizing possible threats.

“Although we don’t do security details a lot, it is one of our missions,” he said.

When CIRT started 25 years ago, it had five members. The team has very few job openings because of its members’ devotion.

“I hope to be in there for a few more years,” Williams said, “until my body can’t take it anymore.”

CIRT members train for about six to eight hours a month in addition to their full time officer shifts, Williams said.

Among other positions, Bloomington’s CIRT’s comprised of the marksman observer and entry team. Although the word sniper is strictly a military term, the marksman observer has similar responsibilities, Williams said.

“This individual is capable of giving information to other team members through observation, and, if necessary, to take precision shots at a distance,” he said.

The entry team is responsible for what its name implies ­— moving into a structure and gaining control. It’s comprised of a breacher whose primarily responsible for facilitating forced entry into structures via windows or doors.

Storm Mountain, Inc., a SWAT training center near the Maryland border in Elk Garden, W. Va., trains 1,500 to 2,500 law enforcement officials per year. Most police departments have an operating procedure that sets the standard for what training’s required, said Rod Ryan, vice president of operations.

“Every department is different,” Ryan said. “Large departments such as D.C., Baltimore and Los Angeles may have thousands of pages of standard operating procedure.”

Firearms training is a must at Storm Mountain. Other specialty areas involve safety maneuvering through structures, hostage situations and reconnaissance.

“We throw a lot of stuff at these guys to make sure they think properly,” Ryan said.

CIRT is only utilized several times a year, but the team’s vital to Bloomington’s safety and security.

“We are very fortunate to have CIRT,” Pope said. “They are a highly trained group we rely on.”