May 9, 2023
SWAT Medic Hopefuls Push Body and Mind to the Limit
by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist
When you hear that four people dropped out during the warmups alone, you understand how intense SWAT tryouts are. In fact, an ambulance follows the candidates throughout the full day of physical and mental challenges to tend anyone who drops from injury or exhaustion. The rigorous trials aren’t just for the Special Weapons and Tactics operators who will respond to high risk calls such as barricaded subjects, but also for the SWAT medics, or tactical paramedics, who accompany them on callouts, ready to face the same dangers to treat any injuries that deputies or subjects may suffer in a high risk situation. Recently, three members of local fire departments tried out for the part-time position of SWAT medic with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

SWAT Sergeant Brian Diebold said that the warmup for the combined operator and medic tryouts consists of 20-30 minutes of calisthenics such as pushups, sit-ups, and a mile-long run. It’s not just about physical endurance, Diebold said. Even from the start, “It’s about the guys working as a team.” If someone doesn’t stop at the right time during four-count side straddle hops, the whole group must do the exercise again. They have to understand that in SWAT they’re a team, not just an individual.

After the warmups comes the first major hurdle: the obstacle course. Those trying out have the opportunity to see and even try the course beforehand, and a current SWAT member shows them each individual obstacle. There are walls, ropes, and many variations of things to climb. It’s as much a matter of technique as brute strength, and the top candidates are the ones who studied each obstacle or sought advice beforehand. “The rope is the hardest for someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing,” Sergeant Diebold said.

The timed course starts with another mile of running, after which candidates drag a 150 pound dummy then run up flights of stairs, all while wearing a vest and carrying a Halligan breaching tool. “Your legs turn into jello,” Diebold said. Next they sprint to a shield and training gun and take two shots on a target. After that they come to the obstacle course full of things to climb over, under, and through. They scale an A-frame that stretches to dizzying heights, then plunge into a water filled ditch where they squeeze under a grate while a fire hose sprays them. They have three tries to complete each obstacle. If they can’t, they aren’t eliminated but have a 30 second penalty added to their time. Through the whole thing they’re subjected to a mix of encouragement and verbal reminders that they have the option to quit from current SWAT members. There’s a history of friendly rivalry between law enforcement and fire departments, so when a medic looks like he might have a problem on a climb, a SWAT member jokes that there’s a cat in a tree waiting to be saved.

Those trying out for the SWAT team get to rest until the next challenge (don’t worry, it gets worse for them at the end) while the medics move on to scenarios specific to their job. The moment they finish the grueling obstacle course they hustle to a set-up where they’re informed an officer has been shot. They find a training dummy and bags of medical equipment, and in that utterly exhausted state need to save the officer’s life. The scene is as realistic as possible, and the medic has to find entry and exit wounds, stop the bleeding, intubate the patient, and even treat pneumothorax by using a needle between the ribs to relieve pressure so the patient can breathe more easily.

Nick Lucas, who works with the Madeira Beach Fire Department, was panting after finishing his scenario. “It was hard. It was not fun. Right after the obstacle course there really wasn’t anything on my mind but taking one step at a time. At the scenario it took me a second to really breathe and comprehend what they were telling me, but the county SOPs and the standards are so habitual. Once you follow that systematic approach it just reverts back to muscle memory in your mind.”

Chris Lee from South Pasadena Fire Department said, “It was intense, very challenging. I only had about three weeks to get prepared, and I did a lot of physical and mental training. But I don’t think you can fully prepare for this. We did a couple of practice rounds and I got familiar with the course, but that’s when you’re fresh. When you’re exhausted you have to dig deep to get through it.” He said this is the first time he faced a medical scenario when he was so out of breath. “It’s a lot different. It took me a couple of minutes to really settle down and concentrate on what I was doing. You can feel once you go off autopilot and the critical thinking kicks in.”

Austin Dente said, “It was harder than I anticipated. The obstacle course is kind of a blur.” At the scenario, though, he went right into medic mode. “I’ve been with Clearwater for about eight years, and instinct just kicked in. Being a SWAT medic is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. Working with the team, challenging myself, being a part of something bigger than me…. it’s a big deal.”

Medics try out alongside SWAT because they will be running into some of the same stressful, dangerous scenarios as SWAT. Medics go out on every SWAT callout. They also join big training exercises, such as the recent Marine Week, or Hurricane Deployment Team training because those take place in conditions where emergency medical help can be hard to quickly access. Although SWAT medics don’t engaging with suspects, they will be out on the calls and even if they stage away from the action they must be ready to step in to save the life of a deputy or a citizen, and that could call for the same speed, strength, grit, courage, and teamwork that SWAT operators need. “Our medics are absolutely amazing,” Sergeant Diebold said. “Their training is phenomenal. They’re definitely not afraid. If all hell breaks loose, they’ll do what they have to do.”
Next up is the water survival portion, which consists of five minutes of treading water and a 100-meter swim. For someone like Dente, who is a marine rescue trainer, the pool session is a cool, relaxing break from the dirt and sweat of the obstacle course. Others found the water portion more of a challenge, and the SWAT evaluators made a point of asking candidates at the outset if they could swim. In previous tryouts, candidates have jumped in without letting anyone know they couldn’t swim – not often, but often enough that they now ask every time.

Next they move to the firearms range. SWAT medics are armed when they respond to a callout and must pass the same firearms qualification as deputies. After a written examination, to their immense relief, the SWAT medic candidates are finished for the day. All they have left are the interviews the next day, after a night of hydration and deep sleep.

The SWAT operator candidates still have the most difficult challenge ahead of them. First they perform a series of marksmanship tests with both handgun and shotgun after running sprints. Then comes the infamous Four Corners, a long physical challenge with four sections, each with its own arduous calisthenics. Finally, utterly fatigued after a full day of pushing their bodies to the limits, they move into a scenario where they must show sound tactics and officer safety on a simulated high-risk call.

At the end of the tryouts, SWAT leaders praised the courage and determination, the hard work and sacrifice of those who made it through the day. They need people on their team who will never quit, whether they are operators or medics. If you think you have what it takes to be a SWAT medic, check out the job requirements on our website here.

On this episode you’ll meet Detention Deputy Anthony LaCorte, who was named the 2022 Detention Deputy of the Year for his heroism in saving two children who were drowning in rough seas off Anclote Key. Deputy LaCorte talks about the interpersonal skills needed to be the only deputy alone in a pod of 60 inmates and emphasizes the need for both civility and humor when working with the incarcerated population. 
Join the Sheriff’s Volunteer Patrol
by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist
They wear a uniform. They drive a PCSO vehicle. They’re highly trained. They get dispatched on calls, talk on the radio, and perform a valuable service for the community. They’re not deputies – they’re members of the Sheriff’s Volunteer Patrol (SVP). If you have some free time and an interest in law enforcement, consider joining the SVP and help do your part to keep Pinellas safe.

“We want go-getters,” said Corporal Tom Goldberg who is part of the Community Policing Unit and oversees the volunteers. “It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old. We need people who really want to make a difference in the community and help the sheriff’s office.”

Volunteers don’t perform any law enforcement activity – they have no arrest powers, carry no weapons, and aren’t allowed to get into dangerous situations. But they are law enforcement adjacent and do some of the same tasks that deputies do. One of their most common assignments is to provide traffic control at the scene of accidents. They will park their agency vehicle – clearly marked as a volunteer vehicle with amber flashing lights – to block or redirect traffic around a crash and then don a reflective vest to move traffic safely.

Volunteers can also conduct parking enforcement, writing tickets for handicap spot violations or parking on the wrong side of the street. They can take crash reports for accidents with no injuries and minor damage where the parties just have to exchange information. They also assist our Sexual Predator and Offender Tracking Unit by distributing flyers alerting residents that a predator or offender has moved into their neighborhood. Another common call is to accept found property if someone turns in a wallet or finds an abandoned bicycle. All these things are calls that a deputy would otherwise have to take. They are very important, but they take time away from calls like batteries and burglaries that only a deputy can do. When volunteers are on the road helping out, deputies can do their job better.

Volunteers aren’t just dispatched on calls – they patrol and proactively look for violations. They do house checks for residents who are on vacation, making sure there were no break-ins. SVPs also patrol around businesses and shopping centers, looking for anything suspicious. If they find an open door or see a suspicious person, they radio for a deputy. Volunteers work the many events that are either sponsored by the PCSO such as our annual holiday fundraiser Ride and Run With The Stars, or events like Valspar where the PCSO has a large presence.

Right now, the PCSO has around 30 SVPs. At any given time there might be three or four volunteers working in the whole county. Corporal Goldberg would like to have a lot more, and hopes to attract a big group for the next training class. “We have 12 volunteer vehicles. It would be great to have all the cars filled and active. If we had 50 or 60 volunteers and most of the cars were out all the time, imagine how that would free up the deputies.”

Our dedicated volunteers are both a visible presence that reminds the public that the PCSO is out and about, and additional eyes and ears for law enforcement. SVPs have spotted dangerous DUI drivers and followed them at a safe distance, radioing in the location until a deputy could stop them. An SVP even found a missing child.

It’s not a job for everybody though, Corporal Goldberg cautions. There’s no upper age limit, but SVPs have to be able to walk or stand for extended periods and pick up things like traffic cones or bicycles. “We tell them, you’re not just sitting behind a desk. This is a very active position.” Just like every PCSO employee, SVPs have a background check and a polygraph. 

The training is intensive, lasting eight weeks and covering many of the same things that deputies learn, including traffic and parking enforcement, first aid, and mental health issues. The classes will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. “They come out really well trained,” Corporal Goldberg said. After that the recruits are paired with a Field Training Officer, a very experienced volunteer who they work with for 120 hours before graduating to Volunteer I. At that stage they have to ride with a partner. After serving enough hours they get tested and evaluated and advance to Volunteer II when they can ride solo.

Volunteers must be able to commit to working at least one event and a certain number of hours each quarter. For those who have the dedication, this is a wonderful chance to learn new skills, work with deputies, and help your community. For more information visit our SVP page or contact Corporal Goldberg at 582-6064.
Honor Fallen Law Enforcement Officers
Join us to honor fallen heroes at the 33rd Annual Pinellas County Fallen Officer Memorial on Wednesday, May 10, at 10:00 a.m. at the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, 10750 Ulmerton Road in Largo. Our own fallen deputies, Deputy Michael Hartwick (End of Watch: September 22, 2022) and Deputy Michael Magli (End of Watch: February 17, 2021) are among the brave law enforcement officers who will be honored. The public is welcome to attend.