Featured Article -- July 2007

Highly trained Tactical Response Units serve the metro area

--Submitted by the Lenexa, Kan., Police Department

The Lenexa Police Department Tactical Unit is part of the Kansas City Metro Disaster Tactical Response Team (MDTRT).  The MDTRT is a multi-agency tactical response unit that serves the entire metro area. It is made up of 150 tactical operators from Missouri and Kansas.  MDTRT operators are trained in the tactical response to terrorist attacks, including chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives incidents. 

Some of the training that members of the MDTRT must complete is provided by the Department of Homeland Security/ Center for Domestic Preparedness through a consortium of training providers.  Basic and advanced WMD Tactical Operators courses are provided by Louisiana State University. This training covers the use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), overview of WMD incidents, medical aspects, intelligence assessment, decontamination, mission/operational planning, use of detection equipment and close-quarters battle in a WMD environment.

The Center for Domestic Preparedness, located in Anniston, Ala., conducts a variety of courses, including Technical Emergency Response Training (TERT).  This four-day training course is designed to provide emergency response operational-level instruction on responding to and operating in a WMD environment. The course covers chemical, ordnance/explosive, biological, and radiological/nuclear threats; the current domestic and international terrorist threat; managing a WMD scene; determining the breadth of a WMD incident area; and dealing with the media following an incident. In addition, it provides 20 hours of hands-on familiarization training in specialized protective clothing and equipment, chemical detection and identification equipment, decontamination and medical triage. The course also incorporates an opportunity for the participants to practice offensive operations through a hands-on training exercise in the Live-Agent Training Facility.

 

 

 

The threat level in the airline sector is HIGH or Orange. See www.dhs.gov for details.

An online Suspicious Activity Report Form (SAR) will be available soon.