I recall years ago, when I became a member of my departments SWAT team, hearing the senior guys talk about the training and certifications they obtained through various SWAT associations. I was ignorant at the time in thinking that all the training I needed to be an excellent SWAT operator was going to be provided by guys on my team. Although, as a member of a Texas SWAT team, those senior guys had sought out training from not only the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association (ttpoa.org) but also the Florida SWAT Association (floridaswat.org) and others. As I researched other state associations, I learned that they had many of the same things in common and offered their membership the opportunity to better themselves through the following opportunities.
- Affordable membership
Many associations offer reasonable individual and team membership pricing. Team membership run approximately in the $200-300 range per year. Get your agency to pay this. Individual memberships can average $20-40 per year. If your team does not have one, obtaining the individual level could benefit your training for years to come. Yes, that means paying out of your pocket. Remember to write that off at tax time each year. The associations do not exist to make a huge profit off you and your team, rather allow for growth of the association and to cover expenses. Many officers in leadership roles do not receive compensation for all the work they do. Some associations offer dual membership for an increase yearly price. Meaning you can join the state associations and also the National Tactical Officer’s Association (ntoa.org). Most include a subscription to the quarterly SWAT Association publication that contain good information for staying abreast of SWAT related matters. Some may have reduced tuition costs for being a member to attend training courses. Either way, you get a good return on your yearly investment.
- Networking opportunities
SWAT associations offer the perfect opportunity for meeting other like-minded individuals that desire to be their best. I remember when I first attended the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association SWAT conference. As I signed up and took courses that were offered I began to form new friendships that have lasted even to this day. These friendships have allowed me to keep up with what they are doing and vice versa and to call upon them for new training ideas and advice. We all have successes and failures that we have learned through training and operations and we should share those with our peers at other agencies. Knowledge that is not share is just plain selfishness. You will meet people at training courses that will allow for you to network about techniques, tactics and procedures, (TTP’s). This is invaluable and frankly hard to quantify. Get involved and stop thinking your team knows all things SWAT. Learn from one another and grow as a team member.
- Training
We become better in our skills by training as much as we can. Learning new skill sets require attending courses that may be anywhere from one day in length to more than a week. The bread and butter of SWAT Associations is pushing out sponsored training courses to the membership. You can usually gauge how well an association is working for the members, by how active the training calendar is. A training calendar that only has a few courses a year for the membership is more than likely failing to provide the membership meaningful training opportunities. Likewise, a training calendar that is busy with new courses added every month or so is beneficial to the members and allows for their growth. Many associations do a very good job of providing the basic courses needed to meet state and agency guidelines for being a SWAT officer. More exotic courses allow members to learn a new skill that may be called upon one day. There should be a good mix of SWAT adjunct instructors to former Military instructors. Don’t get me wrong, SWAT officers want to learn from Special Forces guys that have been in combat and have done that, but your own SWAT guys have a lot to offer also and will be especially tuned into the political climate and rules of engagement.
- Competitions
I cannot stress enough the benefits of training for and competing in a SWAT competition. Competitions are not meant to replace training or real operations, but they fill the gap in one really important area. Performing on demand under pressure. I know many teams that have one basic requirement for a potential new team member. Can they keep their composure and perform under stress. Many SWAT associations plan for and sponsor team competitions for the membership. TTPOA has a yearly competition and regularly fills the 30 team field. To do well, teams must prepare months in advance and the training involved, some on their own time, prepares them for a single goal of winning a championship. Some of the best training I have received was in preparation for a team competition. Unfortunately, those team members who are resistant to showing the weaknesses usually choose not to participate. This in the big picture does not serve the team well. SWAT association competitions also place great importance on every round fired. This is in contrast to some competitions that allow for multiple rounds to be fired to score a hit on a target. This is not the world we live in and impotence should be one round allowed for every target hit. We all know that the round we fired, has our name on it.
- Conferences
Conference gatherings are a main staple for any association. Even SWAT competitions do not draw the numbers the conferences do. Conferences allow the associations to bring in numerous instructors to teach 8 hour to 32 hour training blocks. Many of your larger associations will draw 400-600 attendees for the duration of the event. At the writing of this article, the Ohio Tactical Officers Association, (otoa.org) is nearing 900 registered attendees for their upcoming conference. Growth can explode at the conference gatherings, especially if relevant and current courses are offered for the membership. The conference allows for attendees to attend at an economical price that includes the break out classes or training courses. Otherwise, some of offered courses may cost significantly more during the year. Of other value is the trade shows which usually precede any courses taught. Many associations have developed great relationships with manufacturers and vendors that benefit the membership. Give-aways, raffles are always a hit, but the time to speak to officers about products and development are the value add during these shows for vendors. Vendors also may include the instructors who are teaching as they seek to meet and interact with as many officers as possible. Feedback from the end user is critical to developing more user friendly and pertinent products which in the end increases the SWAT team’s safety and effectiveness.
In conclusion
If you are a member of a SWAT team and have not taken advantage of training opportunities from your state SWAT association, ask yourself why. There could be some reasons that are out of your control, but chances are you are the main reason you have not. Get involved, meet other people, and train, train, and train. Remember, if you are not moving forward then you are moving backwards. Be the tip of the spear and train like it.
