Ada Metro S.W.A.T. is maintained for the purpose of handling hazardous situations, which are beyond the normal operations and capabilities of daily patrol duties.
Ada Metro S.W.A.T. is made up of members from the following Public Safety Agencies:
- Meridian Police Department
- Ada County Sheriff’s Office
- Garden City Police Department
- Ada County Tactical Paramedics
The combining of these resources allows us to save taxpayer money, while providing the citizens of our communities an expert team of S.W.A.T. Operators, trained in special tactics and provided with the equipment necessary to safely resolve high-risk situations.
Some situations that may call for the uses of SWAT are:
- High-Risk Warrant Service (I.E. Drugs, Guns, Etc.)
- Service Of Warrants On Heavily Fortified Locations
- Barricaded Suspects
- Sniper Hostage Situations
- Civil Disturbances
- Dignitary Protection
- Searches For Armed Suspects
- Institutional Insurrections
- High Risk Prisoner Transports
- High Risk Suicidal Persons
The goal of all S.W.A.T. activations is the safe resolution of a high-risk incident with no injury to hostages, uninvolved citizens, law enforcement officers or suspects.
To become a member, the candidate goes through a rigorous competitive selection and testing process. Once selected, each member must successfully complete a 40 hr basic SWAT operator’s course as a 160 hr Department of Homeland Security Type II certification course. From that point on training is continuous being both physically and mentally demanding.