Law enforcement uses house for real-life scenarios
<p>Detail shot of the Special Response Team patch.</p>
<p>Josh Pipolo and other members of the SRT and SWAT teams gather at the end of their training day to discuss what team members learned from the experience. Pipolo's shirt has the SRT logo and reads: Respect All — Fear None.</p>
<p>Jordan Venezio, center, and members of the Police Department SRT and Sheriff's Department SWAT teams gather to examine the set up of a window breaching exercise on Monday, April 23, in Kalispell.</p>
<p>SWAT operator Scott McConnell breaks down a door during a training exercise on Monday, April 23, in Kalispell.</p>
<p>SRT operator Jordan Venezio, left, uses an break and rake entry tool during a training exercise on Monday, April 23, in Kalispell. In the background is Caleb Pleasants of SWAT.</p>
<p>From left, Alan Brooks and Logan Shawback of SWAT demonstrate tools and entry tactics on Monday, April 23, at a joint SWAT/SRT training day in Kalispell.</p>
<p>Eric Morrison of SWAT in a breaching exercise on Monday, April 23, at the fairgrounds in Kalispell.</p>
<p>SWAT operator Alan Brooks and SRT medic Josh Pipolo at a joint training exercise on Monday, April 23, at the fairgrounds in Kalispell.</p>
<p>Members of the Sheriff's Department Special Weapons and Tactics team and of the Kalispell Police Department Special Response Team gather around at the conclusion of their joint training day on Monday, April 23, in Kalispell.</p>
Accumulated dirt and grim from long abandonment cover the windows and walls of the 1920s house on Wyoming Street in Kalispell.
The weather-worn structure looks as though it might fall over in a stiff breeze, and the outbuildings behind it look even less sound. The sight is enough to make a person do a mental check to make sure their tetanus shots are current.
In short — it’s absolutely perfect.
The Flathead County Fairgrounds acquired the property on the north side of the street more than six years ago. The county was unsuccessful in its attempts to sell or recycle the structure, and according to Fairgrounds Manager Mark Campbell, it did not make financial sense to rebuild it.
So the fairgrounds donated the building to local law enforcement and the Kalispell Fire Department for training.
On April 23, members of the Kalispell Police Department Special Response Team and the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office Special Weapons and Tactics team spent three hours busting in doors, breaking windows and doing a wide array of scenario training.
“Experience is the best sort of training for what we do,” Kalispell Police Officer Tim Falkner said.
“Having an actual building like this makes the training as realistic as possible, because we can physically break things or damage stuff the way we might have to do on an actual call out. We don’t have a lot of buildings like this available.”
Falkner said they have the ability to create window-entry scenarios without the glass, but it is obviously less real. In a real situation, there is the sound of breaking glass and glass shards and debris to deal with.
At the April training, the team members were reminded of the proper way to break windows before the scenario began. If done improperly, a person’s arm might go into the window, not just the tool used to break it. If that happens, the arm could be shredded to the point of nerve damage, which could cause someone to permanently lose the use of his arm.
Door-breaching could also be simulated, Falkner said, but it’s not the same as a real-life scenario. In the real world, an officer or firefighter can’t see around the door; they don’t know what awaits them on the other side.
Similarly, in April’s training, team members could not see what they were facing on the other side of the door. That level of realism can make a profound difference when they are on a real call.
April’s training at the Kalispell house was the culmination of about 10 hours of work that included classroom time and qualifications on the shooting range.
Brian Heino, team leader of the Sheriff’s Department SWAT unit, said it was beneficial to both teams getting to train together.
“In a lot of the high-risk search warrants, both teams will get called in,” he said.
“With this event, 16 people were trained in a wide range of breaching tactics. We also gained a better understanding of how we can have the teams work together and cooperating.”
“The most important part of our jobs is saving lives,” Heino added.
He said the team members are always striving to improve. They want to constantly be on the “edge of excellence,” so that when the call comes in and someone’s life is on the line, the team is focused and thinking about how to save the lives of those involved and keep themselves safe.
“This is a huge help to us,” Heino said. “It’s an exceptional resource that makes the training as lifelike as possible.”
The training is also more cost-effective, he added.
“We spent maybe $50 on this training with dowel rods, metal plating, stuff like that. If we had had to purchase all those doors and windows, this training day would have been very pricey,” Heino said.
As the day wrapped up, each team member was asked to comment on the day’s experience. According to Falkner, the response was positive all around, especially from the newer members who hadn’t had a lot of experience with this level of realism in their previous training.
As the groups disbanded, they were reminded to keep their eyes open for opportunities like this house. The teams are looking for other properties where they can train.
According to Heino, even donated doors and windows are a useful because they can build the frames for them.
“We don’t just stop with one training,” Heino said. “The house was great, but now we are on to planning what’s next.”
Anyone who wants to help with location or materials for law enforcement training should contact Falkner at 758-7788 or Heino at 758-2118.
Photographer Brenda Ahearn may be reached at 758-4435 or at bahearn@dailyinterlake.com.