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Jed Boal ReportingThe Ogden Police Department today showed off a new state-of-the-art training center that will help many agencies battle crime and terrorism. SWAT teams and military units can now train in a realistic environment.
SWAT teams cannot always create the type of training scenarios they want. They need to raid homes and buildings, and that's not easy to set up. Now they can get that tactical training any time, at no cost.
One cop calls this the ultimate tactical training ground. The Swanson Tactical Training Facility is the only one of its kind in the Western US.
Randy Watt, Asst. Chief Ogden Police Department: "You can do a wide variety of activities here, everything from basic patrol-related activities to hostage rescue for tactical units."
The furnished, three-bedroom home and a two-story motel provide an ideal stage for police officers or troops to practice.
Lt. Tony Fox, Ogden Metro S.W.A.T. Commander: "This is climate-controlled. I can come in here and shut the light off in the middle of the day and train in the dark."
Law enforcement teams from the Wasatch Front and beyond run through scenarios they may encounter in the field.
Randy Watt: "There are other structures like this, but there's no other place that has cameras."
Sixteen cameras in each building record every raid, every move the officers make. When the scenario is done, trainees review their work in a classroom.
Randy Watt: "You can identify where mistakes were made, for retraining purposes, and strengthen good activities. We can take that off the hard drive, put it on a disc. Your training is documented, you can take it with you."
Infrared enables teams to train in total darkness.
The Swanson Foundation and Big-D Construction partnered to build the facility for 60-thousand dollars. Federal, local and military law enforcement teams already train here.
Chuck Swanson, Swanson Foundation: "When SWAT comes to my neighborhood, I want them as well trained and as one top of their game as they can possibly be. We all do. This facility helps them do that."
Agencies from Pocatello, Las Vegas and other communities out-of-state and out-of-country plan to book time.
Depending upon financing, the facility may add a helicopter landing pad, driving track, and shooting range.
