IRONWOOD, MI - Thursday, May 01, 2008 - The Gogebic-Iron Emergency Tactical Response Team (ETRT) continued their week-long training this morning in an abandoned house on Pabst Street. The house is currently owned by Jim and Priscilla Cross, the owners of Josephson's Nursing Home. The home will be demolished later this summer to allow for the expansion of the nursing home. Jim and Priscilla graciously allowed the new joint SWAT team to use the house for training.

The entry training the SWAT team was going through this morning is useful in hostage situations; when an armed individual has barricaded himself in; or for high-risk drug warrants, etc. Earlier in the morning, the team was using simunition training to fine tune safety procedures.

In addition to the twelve SWAT trainees, the following were present at this morning's training session: FBI Instructor Morris Moriwaki; Ironwood Public Safety Department Director Bob Erspamer; KQDS Duluth FOX 21 Reporter Melissa Ganje; FOX 21's Photojournalist Tom Skull; and yours truly from the Superior Chronicle.

The new team is made up of twelve members. There are three members from each of the four area law enforcement agencies – the Gogebic County Sheriffs Department, the Iron County Sheriffs Department, the Ironwood Public Safety Department and the Hurley Police Department.

The SWAT team is undergoing special training provided free of charge by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). FBI Instructor Morris Moriwaki from Milwaukee, WI has been here throughout the week and will wrap up the training tomorrow. Moriwaki said the team is doing a very good job of learning. "They're like sponges. They absorb everything they are told!" Moriwaki said.

Iron County Sheriffs Deputy Chris Voyer was instrumental in forming the new multi-jursidictional SWAT team. On the Wisconsin side of the bridge there is no SWAT team available. Up until now, on the Michigan side, a team would have to be brought in from downstate as needed. Voyer called the FBI and arranged for the special training required.

Many municipalities have had success combining their resources with other counties and towns in the region to form a regional SWAT team. Each municipality has a few trained SWAT members and key pieces of equipment, allowing them to form a complete SWAT team when called on. Federal grants, many available through the Department of Homeland Security, can help police agencies pay for SWAT training and equipment.

With money as tight as it is these days, creating four individual SWAT teams is impractical and financially prohibitive. With all four area law enforcement agencies working together, costs are shared and the impossible becomes reality.

This isn't the first cooperative effort between these four agencies. The GIANT (Gogebic Iron Area Narcotics Team) team as been extremely effective in controlling area drug manufacture and trafficking.

The SWAT teams have been undergoing a rigorous training schedule. These dedicated individuals have been doing several different exercises and have been training in several other facilities, including the Ironwood High School and the Memorial Building.

SWAT teams rely heavily on practice scenarios and simulations. Although they can't replicate exactly what it's like to burst into a booby-trapped drug dealer's apartment or face down a gunman with a hostage, these trial runs are far more effective than simply talking about the situations.

The cost to provide the minimum equipment for each SWAT member is roughly $600. Some of the equipment they are currently using has been donated. More equipment would greatly improve the efficiency and safety of the new SWAT team. A special account has been set up at the Gogebic County Federal Credit Union in Bessemer for anyone wishing to donate funds to help maintain and improve the Gogebic-Iron SWAT team.

KQDS FOX 21 AUDIO 

Jim Albert