Tracking the “bad guys”!

Attention:  Goodhue County Multi-Jurisdiction Emergency Response Team (ERT) will be conducting a training exercise near Cannon Falls on 10/16/19 the announcement said on Facebook. The exercise will occur throughout the day and into the evening and night-time hours.  

That sounded interesting to me.  Years ago I had gone on maneuvers up north with the local Army Reserve.

So I sent an email to the Goodhue County Sheriff asking to go along. But I didn’t hear anything back.

And I had other plans scheduled.

But, the day of the training exercise at the Todd Prink farm I got an email that I was accepted!  

Brrrrrrrr!

It was a cold day… in the 40’s… so I put on a winter jacket, cap, gloves and laced up my hiking boots.  That wasn’t enough.  

I was standing outside with the guys for over an hour listening to the training session… and my fingers shaking so badly from the cold that I couldn’t read my notes… and  I watched the guys bouncing their legs to keep circulation going as they concentrated on their instructions.

It was later in the day - after I had stopped by my home and put on a light weight snowmobile suit under my jacket - that I felt I could survive.
I also warmed up when riding with the guys on tactical mission training.

Back to the training meeting.   

Emergency Response Team (ERT) Commander/Field Training Supervisor, Joshua Hanson, introduced me to the team.  l explained that I had previously flown with the Army as a reporter and I would stay out of their way. 

But, I added, I know you will run me through a “hazing” and then  we’ll be OK.  They laughed politely.  

I was standing next to Rodney Roberts who quietly commented, “Your shoelace is untied.”   I quickly looked down at my boots and he grinned, “Gotcha!”  And I think we were off to a good start!

As they were organizing to go out in the fields, I explained I had another commitment.  So we figured out a good time for me to return.

  Keep in mind that I’m shivering so much that all I’m thinking about is the hot cup of coffee at my next meeting.  Actually, it was a group of friends I had promised to join for a book discussion… and wine and dessert!

When I got to that group I didn’t even take off my jacket… I just sat down at the table and gasped… “Coffee!”   

It wasn’t ready yet… so I was told to have the wine.  Later, fortified with coffee, I headed back to the training session!

  Practicing to protect…  

In real action, their lives and the ones they would be protecting would be in danger and depended on their expertise.

Some of the scenarios were: 1) Shooter in the woods and 2) a pursuit with two armed male suspects and a female suspect inside of a pickup truck which was stuck in a field as they were trying to escape.

Decisions were: containing a crowd, saving a hostage, dealing with your men if they get hurt, booby traps, noise of your equipment - some of which may be dependent on battery life and weather conditions, etc.

    It was a serious situation.  And a good reminder… the “bad guys” may not choose warm weather either.

 One of the “bad guys” being told to put your hands on your head and walk backward to their position. 

 What do you do in

   a “Code Red Alert”?

When a “Code Red Alert" comes on your phone and tells you to get to a place of safety immediately…  have you thought of what you should bring with you?

And how much time you should take to find your “stuff”?

I didn’t think of this during last year’s tornadoes here in the Cannon Falls area.  When that alert came over my phone I had just finished popping a bowl of popcorn.

So I grabbed it… my cellphone… and a flashlight and headed down the stairs into the cellar.  

Checking on your neighbors…

It was some time later when neighbors started driving by to see if I was OK.  Trees were partially blocking the road but they got around them.

When they heard I was in the cellar I think they decided that since we probably kept some wine down there…  I would be OK!   

Another Code Red…

Recently we got another Code Red tornado alert warning and since I had just written a recap in my column of all the things that happened in last year’s event I knew more about what could go wrong,

I headed for the cellar and when I got there I realized that if a tornado tore off the first floor of my house, I really should have my billfold with my driver’s license with me so I wouldn’t have to file for a new one.  So I ran up the stairs to get it.

When I got back down in the cellar I thought I really should have my laptop too,  I didn’t want to lose the data in it.  So I ran back upstairs again.

Then I realized I didn’t have anything to sit on so I ran to get a folding stool.

I think I remembered other things I wanted but I kept wondering if a tornado might hit just as I was running up and down the stairs!

Settling in for the duration…

When I finally settled down in the cellar - I got on Facebook and saw the Cannon Falls police had posted about the storm and I told them where I was…. so somebody would know!

But what if I didn’t have any “Wi Fi” working?  I’d want a book.  And a flashlight. ( Like when I was a kid and was supposed to be sleeping under the blankets!)

  And now I realized that although I had some canned vegetables on the shelves down there… they weren’t home canned… and I would need a can opener.  

And if you couldn’t get to the “plumbing"…  you’d need a container of some kind, right?  

And remind yourself to sweep for cobwebs more often too!

This is getting way too detailed.

I’m curious as to what you would take 

into your “safe” room?