The three groups dressed in camouflage hustle through thecornfields with guns in hand, helmets down and a careful eye onpassing cars.
They close in on an abandoned building where three hostages liein the hands of terrorists. A sniper stands atop a water tower,communicating via radio to the guards in the building whileawaiting signal of outside sources.
All is quiet, when all of a sudden, doors burst through thesilence and armed Special Weapons and Tactics team members floodstealthily through the halls and rooms, looking for hostages andcriminals.
This time, the good guys, the bad guys and the victims come outalive and receive a rundown of the simulated and timed hostagesituation.
Select members from counties all over the state gather everyyear for a week of intense SWAT training. The Delaware CountySheriff Department hosts the annual meeting that consists ofcompleting mental and physical exertion.
"This has been very informative, physically and mentally," HenryCounty Sheriff Deputy Michael Rossiter said.
The team tested their strengths through a week of sleepdeprivation.
"We trained early in the morning, all day, late hours of thenight and started back again the next morning," Rossiter said.
The team worked on rappelling, shooting and running throughtimed obstacle courses.
Union City Police Sgt. Kevin Smith hit the ground rolling out ofa van at about 20 mph, which resulted in a bloody gash on thebridge of his nose.
"It's a method of deployment that they use for the teams to putthem into a certain area," Smith said. Smith smacked his mouth onthe ground, which resulted in a few loose teeth.
"I still believe that I can hit the ground running and I waswrong. I didn't roll fast enough and ended up going face first,"the 31-year-old said.
Blackford County Sheriff Kevin A. Mahan said he sees the SWATteam and training as safety insurance.
"The situations we're handling today are a lot more difficultthan what we were handling a few years ago," Mahan said. "The way Ilook at it is like an insurance policy -- just in case, it'sthere."
Besides serving as backup in dangerous situations, Mahan saidthere are more people today making decisions with altered mindsfrom drug usage.
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