SWAT TEAM GEARS UP

Looks Like Combat: Members of the Newly-Formed Anderson County Sheriff's
Department SWAT Team Train for Domestic Duties Much Like Army Recruits
Train for Combat.

About a dozen men began training Monday to become members of the
newly-formed Anderson County Sheriff's Department special weapons and
tactics team. The Sheriff's Department started training SWAT team members
Monday and by Tuesday they were putting on gas masks and going into a
training building getting a taste of tear gas.

Deputy Josh Cardwell is one of a dozen Sheriff's Department deputies
currently training for SWAT team duty. The team is made up of not only
Sheriff's Department deputies, but Anderson County Emergency Medical
Service staff and Sheriff's Department reserve deputies. Deputy Josh
Cardwell, newly-assigned canine officer and his dog, are also members of
the SWAT team. "Our basic school started this week," said Sgt. Kent Brown.
"We had weapons training this morning (Tuesday) and this afternoon we'll
have chemical weapons training."

Brown, the team's instructor, said the chemical weapons training is not for
terrorist-type chemical weapons or war-related weapons but for riot agents,
such as tear gas.

Brown said currently the team has about a dozen deputies, who serve in
several different positions at the Sheriff's Department. He said other
members will be added later and of those, some will be trained for special
weapons and other tactics.

The Sheriff's Department decided to start up a SWAT team in part because of
the number of methamphetamine labs in Anderson County but also because the
formation of the team was one of Sheriff Bill White's goals, as he had
stated prior to being elected sheriff.

"The team will be used for entry purposes at meth labs," Brown said. "And,
we need an emergency response team."

"We have begun seeing weapons involved in drug activity and a more tactical
approach is needed for some entries," said White.