Is it Practical to be Tactical When it comes to Dispatch?
There has been a phenomenon sweeping the SWAT world across the country. It is an exciting trend that is the newest secret weapon in the tactical arsenal. What is it? It is the inclusion of specially trained Tactical Dispatchers to the SWAT Team.
These eager, hardworking professionals enhance each SWAT team's ability to effectively gather and disseminate tactical intelligence with more speed than ever before.
This is actually not a new thing. It has been around for more than a decade, but seems to have a refreshed vigor as more and more agencies are taking advantage of the multi-tasking abilities brought to the tactical world by mostly civilian employees.
Tactical dispatchers are being used on both large SWAT teams and smaller SWAT teams across the country in a wide variety of tasks. Each SWAT team commander has a special plan and idea how to use his or her Tactical Dispatchers.
Some teams use the tactical dispatchers to handle the radio communications from the Communication Center, ensuring they have a radio dispatcher that has been specially trained to work with the SWAT team and having an intimate knowledge of the team's policies and working operations.
While other Tactical Dispatchers are sent out into the field to handle communications from the field while logging all of the pertinent information and keeping the Tactical Commander updated on the most current information regarding the situation.
Some agencies use a combination of these methods. Each Tactical Dispatch unit is as unique as the SWAT team they are assigned to. Tactical Dispatchers are being trained to work in any situation, at any location, with any equipment. These communication professionals are being trained to "adapt and overcome" in any given situation, just like their sworn counterparts, the Tactical SWAT team members. "Think outside the box" is a daily mantra to these civilians that dare to go where only brawn and guns have gone before them. Tactical dispatchers are highly trained dedicated members, ready and willing to tackle any assignment given to them by the Tactical Commander.
Return to Tactical Dispatch page