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SWAT unit provides insurance policy Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Brian Hall of the Medford Police Department�s SWAT unit, works out on the obstacle course he designed to help with the team�s training. Hall, a Central Point native, prepared for two years before applying for SWAT duty. Medford team now includes firefighters, Ashland officers By Jessica Smith When Medford police officer Brian Hall entered the quiet home on Beekman Avenue, he didn�t know what to expect. For more than 11 hours in the rain and snow Nov. 13, police waited for the allegedly armed man inside the house to surrender. He never did. "It�s pretty scary," said Hall, recalling his thoughts as he and members of Medford�s Special Weapons and Tactics team searched the dark house for Matthew Garrett. "You know that, in a second, you might have to make a decision to shoot this guy," Hall said. 64 missions over 10 years Since Medford formed its Special Weapon and Tactics unit in 1990, the team has been called on 64 missions. Ranging from hostage situations to dignitary protection, the team is Medford�s most skilled in crisis management. SWAT commander Lt. Tim George said the team is called out about once every other month, or six times a year. Here�s a breakdown on the types of cases handled by the tactical team since 1990: Hostage incidents � 1 Barricaded individuals � 15 High-risk search and arrest warrants � 34 Dignitary protection � 5 Crowd control � 6 Special operations � 3 No one shot Garrett. After a 90-minute search, the SWAT team found the man hiding in a crawl space under his home. But Hall and others say it�s events like the standoff with Garrett that prove the need for SWAT-trained officers. From protecting visiting dignitaries to pacifying a bank robber holding hostages, the SWAT unit stands ready to step in and manage a crisis at any time. "You have to look at SWAT as insurance," said Lt. Tim George, team commander. "You may never need it but when you have to have it, you thank God it�s there." Recently, the city took steps to strengthen that insurance by inviting other law enforcement agencies to join the SWAT team, which was established in 1990. Two Ashland police officers are now part of the group, as are five Medford firefighters. Medford police Chief Eric Mellgren said his plan to create a regional SWAT unit is an attempt to "spread the load" among the agencies who make use of the highly trained team. Inviting other agencies to participate means they�ll share the cost of training and paying personnel, Mellgren said. According to him, the idea of a regional SWAT team is nothing new in Oregon. Neither, he said, is the idea of arming firefighters to serve as SWAT medics. Though the firefighters will carry handguns to defend themselves and others, they won�t be asked to perform police duties, officials say. Instead, the medics will stay near the tactical unit to provide immediate, emergency medical treatment to injured police, suspects and bystanders. "The purpose of SWAT is to save lives," Mellgren said. "But we were missing one leg of a three-legged stool." Members of Medford�s tactical team continue to be assigned other police duties, including patrol. As SWAT members, each of the 18 Medford and Ashland officers underwent intensive testing in physical fitness, stress management and shooting accuracy. One shot out of the narrow "center of mass" zone, and a SWAT candidate is disqualified. In Hall�s case, the Central Point native and former Marine waited two years to join the team. "From the day I got hired here I worked out so I knew I�d be ready for the next test," he said. Hall, who specializes in searching and securing buildings, made the team in 1998. Members of the SWAT unit undergo at least 160 hours of training each year in weapons and tactics. Dedication to their team, however, prompts most to practice strategies and techniques on their own, according to George. "These people will scale tall buildings and swim rivers to get the job done," he added. "They won�t debate it. They�ll get it done." Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.