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Considerations for Homeland Defense Conference
The hot Alabama
summer played co-host to the Considerations for Homeland Defense Conference, 28
July-1 August, 2003
in Hoover, AL.The conference was hosted by the US Attorney’s Office, the Cities of
Bessemer, Birmingham, Homewood
and Hoover. The multi-faceted program brought together international, national and local
instructors to conduct training on countermeasures for terrorism in the United States. Over
700 attendees and 100 vendors were in attendance for this first time
event.
The Hoover PD Special Response Team, with assistance from the Birmingham PD
Narcotics Unit, presented a Basic Tactical Skills Course. This course covered
basic tactical skills for the entry level tactical operator including:
reconnaissance and containment, individual and team movement, vehicle victim
recovery, entry skills, gas and NFDD familiarization, mental awareness, tactical
gear and uniforms, tactical communication, weapon retention and weapons skills.
A series of Intermediate Tactical Skills Blocks was presented by the Homewood PD
Tactical Team. The blocks included vehicle/bus assaults, use of ballistic
shields, active shooter deployment and the use of night vision goggles.
The State Troopers Tactical Team provided a course in Tactical Man-Tracking and
Woodland Operations which found its students moving in, around and over the
hills of
Oak
Mountain
State Park.
SIGArms
Academy
conducted an 8 hour Tactical Pistol Block which was hosted by the Shelby County
Sheriffs Office.
A three day commander’s track was conducted by Chief Michael Foreman of the
Orange County, FL Sheriffs Office. This course was hosted by the Pelham Police
Department.
Tactical Medics from the Homewood PD and Hoover FD conducted the tactical
medical blocks.
Tactical medic skills were put to use in the soaring temperatures to maintain
the hard charging basic course students. Students in both the intermediate and
basic course were able to hone their skills with the use of Simunitions and
paintball gear. Safety in these courses was ensured by the use of SafeTech Saf-T-Rounds
clear chamber indicators. Attendees of the Tactical Pistol Block were able to
sample frangible ammunition supplied by the International Cartridge Corporation.
320 officers and medics took part in the tactical training tracks.
The Alabama Tactical Officers Association was an integral part in developing the
tactical officer and tactical medic tracks. The training committee was put
together by using the ATOA network. Once formed, the tactical committee
coordinated local and national trainers to supply a comprehensive set of tracks
for all levels of the tactical community. ATOA members were present as
instructors and attendees.
The ATOA also operated a booth in the vendor area. This
booth provided information and membership forms for interested attendees.
The ATOA booth was staffed by Smiddie Avery, an ATOA member returning from an
Active Duty deployment overseas. Welcome home, Smiddie.
SGT Curt Carpenter, ATOA President, hails the ATOA as a major player in the
development of the conference tactical training, “Putting together the tracks
was easy, pretty much a few phone calls to ATOA members. Inside of two weeks we
had six tracks laid on. The ATOA guys responded with great enthusiasm and
professionalism. It was one-stop shopping.”
The ATOA mission statement makes the perfect expression for support of such
events:
1) To be a network for police, tactical and medical organizations and personnel
throughout the State of Alabama;
2) To provide a forum for the exchange of ideas, information, training, research
and development of methods used to enhance successful executions of missions in
the tactical environment;
3) To develop a database of information regarding police tactics that can be
used for the betterment of an existing team or aid in the development of a new
team.
All three of the tenets of the ATOA’s mission statement were successfully
satisfied by supporting the conference.
Basic
Intermediate
Advanced 1
Advanced 2
Major Incident Management/Terrorism Update
Tactical EMS
Photo's from the
HD Conference
This page last updated:
Thursday, 26 March 2009
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