Richland County, SC Special Response team makes you safe with "The Peace Maker"

Editor's Note: Do we want these militarized police forces in operating in Marin for routine enforcement of our laws?  Notice the nice touch of this photograph, having all them pointing their weapons at the camera. The tank is called the "Peacemaker", a new low for government double speak.     From the Richland County sherrifs website: Special Response Team (SRT)

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The Special Response Team is classified as a FEMA Type 1 SWAT Team and serves as one of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Regional Response Teams for South Carolina. SRT is a part time team comprised of sworn deputies who are chosen to serve on the team in a voluntary capacity. In addition to the Special Response Team, team members perform their duties in full time positions within the Richland County Sheriff's Department. These divisions include, but are not limited to: Uniform Division, CAT, Drug Suppression Team (DST), Traffic Division, K-9, Narcotics, Internal Affairs, Reserve Program, Training Division, Crime Scene Lab, and DEA Task Force. Special Response Team Members are on call bi weekly throughout the year enabling them to respond to pre-planned and call-out operations.

The team also provides mutual aid for the Fort Jackson Military Base as well as providing assistance for other State and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies with operations in Richland County.

Mission: 
It is the mission of the Richland County Sheriff's Department Special Response Team to provide protection and safety for innocent civilians and Law Enforcement personnel while reducing the possibility of injuries or death during high risk incidents.

Sheriff Lott with the SRT and "The Peacemaker"

Examples of High Risk Incidents include but are not limited to: Hostage Situations, Barricaded Suspects, High Risk Search and/or Arrest Warrants, Armed Suspects, Sniper Situations, Anti Terrorism Events, Active Shooter Situations, Dignitary Protection Events, High Angle Assaults, Waterborne Assaults, and Civil Disturbances.

Training Requirements:
Members on the Special Response Team are expected to perform at a higher standard due to the danger and complexity of the missions presented. Members on the team are required to pass a quarterly physical fitness test and an annual 40 hour recertification qualification in order to retain their position on the team each year.

Duties & Responsibilities: SRT COMMANDER: The SRT Commander is a full time position and is responsible for all the teams within the Special Response Team, overseeing all SRT operations, develops and executes Incident Action Plans for pre-planned and call-out operations, develops and implements all selection criteria for new candidates trying out for the team, and assists with selecting new candidates for the team. The SRT Commander also conducts all the internal yearly training for the members on the team. ASSISTANT SRT COMMANDER: The Assistant SRT Commander provides assistance with monitoring Incident Action Plans during operations, assists with new candidate tryouts, selecting new candidates for the team, conducting yearly internal training for the team members, and assumes the duties and responsibilities in the absence of the SRT Commander.   ENTRY TEAM LEADERS:  Entry Team Leaders are senior SRT Operators who have been selected by the SRT Commander to lead their team during operations in accordance with the Incident Action Plans. Team Leaders are responsible for maintaining their team's operational readiness at all times and assist with new candidate tryouts and new team member selections. ASSISTANT ENTRY TEAM LEADER:  The Assistant Entry Team Leader performs the duties of an operator on the Entry Team and provides assistance to the Team Leader with monitoring Incident Action Plans during operations, assists with new candidate tryouts as well as new team member selections. Assistant Team Leader also assumes the duties and responsibilities in the absence of the Entry Team Leader. ENTRY TEAM OPERATOR:  Entry Team Operators receive training in special weapons and tactics and secure the crisis site during high risk SRT operations. TACTICAL SUPPORT TEAM:  Tactical Support Team Operators are responsible for assisting with logistics as well as providing security on a primary perimeter at a crisis site during SRT operations. The operators on the Tactical Support Team will be promoted to an operators position on the Entry Team when a position becomes available. TECHNICAL SUPPORT / TEAM: Technical Support Team Operators assist the Incident Management Team (IMT) with SRT Technical Support, driving the  SRT vehicles to and from SRT operations, maintains and issues specialized SRT equipment during operations, ensures the SRT special vehicles are operational, and provides information technology and communications support for SRT during operations. SNIPER/OBSERVER: Sniper Team Operators provide surveillance intelligence gathering through stealth and direct visibility for SRT operations and for other divisions within the Richland County Sheriff's Department. These operators also provide security protection for innocent civilians, first responders and SRT operators during high risk operations MEDIC TEAM: The Medic Team is a part time team comprised of an Internal and External Team. Internal Medics are Reserve Deputies with the Richland County Sheriff's Department and provide emergency medical care for the SRT members during High Risk Operations.  External Medics perform full time duties with Richland County EMS and are not armed officers. These medics provide emergency medical care in a hot zone when security is provided by SRT operators.

EOD / BOMB TEAM:  The EOD / Bomb Team is comprised of a full time commander and several part time technicians. Part time technicians still hold full time positions within the Richland County Sheriff's Department. These technicians assigned to the EOD/Bomb Team are certified at the State and Federal level to handle suspicious or found devices, post blast occurrences, suspicious packages, explosive breaching, and underwater explosives.