In City or Country… 

ERT is Prepared to Protect

Because they may need to respond in urban and woodland-agricultural terrain, the Goodhue County Multi-Jurisdiction Emergency Response Team (ERT) held their annual training and validation of the team’s tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP’s) ultimately to support its life-saving mission objectives one day last week at the Todd Prink farm east of Cannon Falls.  The exercises included day and night scenarios.

Team members are full time licensed officers who volunteer for the team assignment. They are chosen based on law enforcement experience, physical fitness, and firearms testing at higher standards than regular officers. Team members receive extensive training in tactical maneuvers and techniques, weapons, and special equipment.

Those involved…

Information from Patrol Sergeant Joshua Hanson, Emergency Response Team (ERT) Commander/Field Training Supervisor explained the depth of resource personnel involved.    

• Two deputies from the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) Recreational Enforcement Division supporting the team with various assets.
• Two members of the GCSO Investigative Division supporting with the Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) or Drone
• Two members of the GCSO Patrol Division supporting and training with the team  
• Captain Chad Steffen of the GCSO Communications Unit (COMU) supporting efforts as the Communications Unit Leader (COML) and several members of the GCSO Administration including Sheriff Marty Kelly, Chief Deputy Jeremy Lerfald and Captain Collins Voxland were also present supporting the team’s efforts.
• Also, the “bad guys” were two members of the GCSO Adult Detention Center (ADC) supporting as role-players to support the team’s scenario based training objectives, 

The latest technology

  A large emphasis was placed on movement and tracking utilizing night vision and coordinated FLIR technology to traverse the terrain and maneuver against potentially armed and dangerous suspects at night. The team learned that the technology, utilizing Infrared (IR) spectrum as well as Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR), offers a significant advantage to the team in accomplishing its life-saving mission objectives, however does create some challenges that need to be continuously trained to overcome.

Who do they protect?

The objectives are to protect innocents, first responders and when possible the suspects themselves from harm, explained Hanson.  “This is forefront on the minds of all of my team members and those supporting us.

“We take this extremely serious and it can be seen through the efforts of my guys at trainings like this. I’m very proud of them all.”

Above their own safety

Hanson continued: “They volunteer for this assignment knowing this however each of them places the mission of ‘saving lives’ and ‘protecting innocents’ above their own personal safety. For us it’s not just a mission but is also seen as protecting our own neighbors, family, friends and our community as a whole. “

“Furthermore, we make decisions and take action based on a formulated decision making process which ultimately leads to only calculated risks for the team. Reckless and careless decisions and actions are not tolerated or acceptable.”

This is the third year that the training maneuvers have been held at the Prink farm.