Abington wins Montgomery County SWAT competition

Abington Police Department dominated the competition for the second consecutive year at Montgomery County’s SWAT Challenge Saturday, winning the District Attorney’s Cup.

In its third year, the competition at the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Campus drew more than 100 officers from county SWAT and emergency response teams testing officers’ physical abilities, rescue techniques and marksmanship.

The Abington police unit also won the Obstacle Course, Sniper Event and Three Gun Event. The central Montgomery County SWAT unit, or CMSWAT, won the Hostage Rescue event, according to DA Risa Vetri Ferman.

Besides Abington and CMSWAT, other teams representing the following departments competed for the District Attorney’s Cup that was awarded to the overall point champion:

Montgomery County Correctional Facility, or CERT; North Penn Tactical Team is made up of Lansdale, Hatfield, Upper Gwynedd, Towamencin, Lower Salford, Franconia, Souderton, Telford, North Wales, Marlborough and Upper Perkiomen police; Colonial Team, which includes Plymouth, Whitemarsh and Conshohocken officers, is now part of CMSWAT, which is made up of officers from Montgomery, Lower Gwynedd, Whitpain, East Norriton, West Norriton, Bridgeport, Upper Merion, Lower Providence and Royersford.

Also competing was the Chester-Montgomery Emergency Response Team, CMERT, comprised of police from Pottstown, Collegeville, Upper Providence, Lower Pottsgrove, West Pottsgrove, Upper Pottsgrove, Douglas, New Hanover, Limerick, North Coventry and Colebrookdale; As well, a Lower Merion team was a new entry this year.

Each team consisted of at least seven persons, two of whom were snipers. The teams competed in four different events that tested their physical abilities, teamwork, firearms abilities, and their ability to be “mission ready” at all times.

The four challenges consisted of an obstacle course designed to test a team’s physical endurance, a five-member hostage rescue that included live fire to test their training in SWAT tactics and teamwork, a sniper event that tested the shooting and physical abilities of each team’s snipers, and a three gun competition that tested each team’s use of firearms as well as their physical capabilities.

Ferman said a surprise event this year was dubbed “The Killer Event,” or critical incident low-light emergency response. The Abington team won this event as well.

“They were faced with a low light situation, and they were firing at moving targets in the dark,” she said.

The event was judged by county detectives; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District Commander, Lt. Col. Thomas Tickner; Pennsylvania State Police Deputy Commander of Operations, Lt. Col. Tedescung Bandy; and the coordinator of Pennsylvania State Police SERT East, Lt. Col. Joseph Wilson.

The SWAT Challenge was organized by First Assistant DA Kevin Steele and his administrative assistant Heather Makler.

BY KEITH PHUCAS

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