Berkeley SWAT Team Wins Urban Shield Contest

The Berkeley Police SWAT team took first place in the fifth annual Urban Shield competition testing responses to a series of emergency scenarios such as an active shooter, hostage-taking and radioactive device. 

The competition among 35 SWAT and emergency-responder teams was part of the Urban Shield training exercises for local law enforcement agencies held Oct. 25-28 in different parts of Northern California.

"If you’re a resident of Berkeley, California and you’re victim to a natural disaster, terrorist attack or lone gunman incident at an elementary school or a shopping center – you’re in luck," said a news release Wednesday about the award from the Berkeley Police Association, the bargaining unit for the city's police officers. "Berkeley police officers are now the highest prepared emergency responders in the nation."

Coming in second place was the Alameda County Sheriff's Department, with the San Francisco Police Department taking third.

The competition may be the toughest one in existence for emergency responders, wrote Douglas Wyllie, editor in chief of PoliceOne.com.

"Teams contended with challenges 'ripped from the headlines,' fashioned after real-world events like the United States Embassy attack in Benghazi, the terrorist takeover of the In Amenas facility in Algeria, the 2012 Camp Liberty murders, the Navy Shipyard attack in September, the Boston Marathon bombing, and the tragic attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown." Wyllie wrote.

"It is the most grueling SWAT competition I know about — if a tougher one exists, I look forward to one day seeing it — so safety is of paramount concern. Site security and safety checks for volunteers and observers are the most stringent imaginable." 

Berkeley Police Officers Win National “Urban Shield” Competition

Berkeley – If you’re a resident of Berkeley, California and you’re victim to a natural disaster, terrorist attack or lone gunman incident at an elementary school or a shopping center – you’re in luck.  Berkeley police officers are now the highest prepared emergency responders in the nation.

In the 5th Annual Urban Shield competition including 35 SWAT and emergency responder teams from across the nation and the world, Berkeley Police scored the highest October 28 - 25 in the 48-hour-straight competition that consisted of 36 different emergency scenarios.  The Urban Shield competition is designed to strengthen first responders’ preparedness in a natural disaster, terrorist attack or dangerous gunman situation.

The Berkeley Police SWAT Team has been around since 1976, and achieved international recognition for its handling of the Henry's hostage incident in September 1990.

“Winning the 2013 Urban Shield competition is a huge honor and it meansBerkeley’s police officers are ready to swiftly and efficiently step up to protect our residents in the case of a catastrophic disaster or emergency,” said Sergeant Chris Stines, President of the Berkeley Police Association. 

"Berkeley police scored the highest in exercises designed to protect buildings and its inhabitants, in mass casualty incidents, in active shooter scenarios, like what occurred at Oikos University in Oakland, and in hostage rescue exercises,” Stines said.

The 36 scenarios comprising the Urban Shield exercises are fashioned after real-world events like the U.S. Embassy attack in Benghazi, the Navy shipyard attack in September, the Boston Marathon bombing and the shooting at Sandyhook Elementary in Newtown.  Each of the competitions was staged in different locations throughout Northern California – from San Francisco to Redwood City to Livermore to Brentwood.  All emergency responders work together to deal swiftly and effectively with individual incidents and teams are scored on their participation.

The Bay Bridge hosted two fire and hazmat drills this year in which terrorists had stolen a Fed-Ex van, using it to launch a chemical and biological assault on all bystanders.

The Urban Shield program is federally-funded and managed by the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Standard Emergency Management System (SEMS).  The program was instituted five years ago to train first responders to respond effectively to disaster scenarios in the communities they serve.  Police and fire first responders in many of the nation’s top cities such as Austin and Dallas, Texas, San Francisco and areas around the world, including Brazil, Israel, France and other countries have participated in the Urban Shield program.

Boston’s police force competed in Urban Shield prior to the Boston Marathon bombing and attributed the program to better preparing them for responding to this devastating event.  “It made all the difference in the world in our response here,” Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis told the Congressional Homeland Security Committee.  “People are alive today because of Urban Shield and the terrorism training the Department of Homeland Security provided to us.  There is no doubt about that.”

“Earning the honor of being the nation’s top-trained emergency responders means we are ready and able to swiftly deal with any emergency that may happen in the Berkeley community,” said Stines.  “We are prepared and ready to do our jobs and to save lives.”

Don't miss any news from Berkeley Patch. Get the day's headlines and events – plus any breaking news alerts – by subscribing to the Berkeley Patch email newsletter. If you're not subscribed, just click “Get the newsletter” at the top or bottom of the homepage.