The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services today announced that eight law enforcement teams from across the state participated in scenario-based training this week at the third annual ‘Tactical Week’ exercise held at the State Preparedness Training Center in Oriskany. The training taught law enforcement tactical teams how to respond to some of the most challenging and dangerous calls for service in New York State, including active shooter events, serving high-risk warrants and hostage situations. Tactical Week began on May 13 and concludes on May 16. A total of 49 tactical team operators from across Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley, Capital and Mid-Hudson Regions participated this week.

During the event, tactical teams responded to a series of complex and evolving incidents to test their capabilities. The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, which developed and managed ‘Tactical Week,’ modeled scenarios after real-world SWAT responses in Louisville (2019), Pittsburgh (2018), and Parkland (2018).  New this year, the New York City Police Department’s Emergency Services Unit provided instructional support for this event to enhance intrastate coordination and collaboration.  

“New York’s specialized tactical teams handle law enforcement’s toughest, most complex service calls and it is imperative they have the training necessary to address any type of situation,” said Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Acting Commissioner Patrick Murphy. “Tactical Week gives these teams a variety of real-world scenarios in New York’s world-class preparedness training center in order to test their skills and abilities so they are prepared to address any threat their community may face.”

This year, participating teams included the Binghamton Metro SWAT Team, Colonie Police Department, New Rochelle Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Utica Metro SWAT Team, Troy Police Department, Westchester County Police Department and the White Plains Police Department.

Each team, consisting of six members plus a team leader, responded to different skills lanes and scenarios throughout the week. The scenarios included:

• A low-light scenario in Cityscape where teams must maneuver and operate in near-dark conditions utilizing night vision equipment to find an assailant;
• An active shooter response at a simulated workplace setting where teams must enter a building, search for victims and locate an assailant;
• A high-risk scenario involving a hostage rescue at a simulated workplace where a disgruntled employee is holding four other employees hostage.

To further enhance the event, the Division included a competitive element to this training.  Teams were judged on their time and performance throughout the event, and the Division designated a winning team at the end of the week.

In addition to hosting Tactical Week and several other training opportunities at the SPTC, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services has a long history of supporting New York’s law enforcement specialty teams through various grant programs. In addition to providing support to the state’s FBI-certified bomb squads and explosive detection canine teams, the Division has allocated $11.1 million to support 50 tactical teams in the state during the past five years.

Malverne Police Department Chief and President of the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police John Aresta said,” The State Preparedness Training Center is staffed by nationally recognized instructors offering state of the art courses of study in all manner of first responder training.  Their reality based tactical training does an outstanding job of preparing and equipping our police officers for the real dangers and rigors that are faced every day as we labor to keep our communities and our police officers safe.  The New York State Association of Chiefs of Police Association looks forward to our continued partnership with the training center.”

Sheriff Carl DuBois of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office stated, “Our Special Operations Group will join eight SWAT teams from around the state to complete training scenarios designed to test the skills of each team in controlled encounters. Each team is a certified SWAT team, the best of the best, in New York State. The training scenarios are important, not only to the teams, but for the communities they serve, providing professional tactics to successfully resolve incidents they are confronted with.”

Troy Police Department Chief Brian Owens said, “The opportunity to participate in Tactical Week greatly benefits our Emergency Response Team, our department and our city.  The State Preparedness Training Center is a premier training facility and the scenarios allow for realistic exercises with external evaluators.  It is a chance for our team members to network with other operators and trainers, share TTPs and test their skills in a challenging environment that improves their capabilities. We are thankful to partner with DHSES and law enforcement agencies in the Capital District and throughout the state.”

Utica Police Department Chief Mark Williams said, “The Utica Police Department and our regional SWAT team (Utica Police Department, New Hartford Police Department and Oneida County Sheriff's Department) is honored to have been selected to participate in Tactical Week. Tactical Week better prepares our SWAT team to handle high risk and stressful situations, while developing regional capabilities and inter-agency cooperation through training with other teams.”

About the SPTC

The State Preparedness Training Center (SPTC), operated by the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, affords state, local, and federal agencies a complex of training venues to conduct the entire spectrum of training. From classroom lectures and discussions to reality- and high-performance scenario-based training, the SPTC offers opportunities for dynamic emergency first responder training. The SPTC offers agencies realistic training environments such as a simulated city, residential housing complex, collapsed building rubble pile, woodland structures and other settings. Now in its 13th year of operation, the SPTC annually trains thousands of New York’s first responders, including law enforcement, emergency medical services (EMS), and emergency management personnel, in a variety of areas including response to active shooter events, emergency vehicle operations, EMS special situations, and patrol officer survival.

About DHSES

The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) provides leadership, coordination and support for efforts to prevent, protect against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorism and other man-made and natural disasters, threats, fires and other emergencies. For more information, visit the DHSES Facebook page, follow @NYSDHSES on Twitter, or visit dhses.ny.gov.