By Susan Motander
A few weeks ago the Foothills Special Enforcement Team (FSET) was activated when a suspect barricaded himself in his home threatening to kill anyone who came near or to kill himself. After a more than 10-hour standoff, the team was able to get the man to surrender without any shots being fired. This sort of effort is not without preparation. Last week the team held a training session in Monrovia.
On Thursday, July 12, FSET met at Clifton Middle School to prepare for various emergencies. The Sheriff’s Department’s helicopter was also involved in the training session. FSET is made up of officers from Monrovia, San Marino, Irwindale, Glendora and La Verne who have received specialized training (think SWAT Team).
The training last week was part of the mandatory 16 hours of training the members of the group completes every month to retain their certification. They train working together so that the members of various departments can work together as a cohesive team.
The exercise at the middle school centered on searching the school for armed suspects. The members of the team systematically went through each classroom eventually locating all the suspects. However, in this scenario, they were not as fortunate as they were in reality. “Shots” were fired. Fortunately, no was hurt, although in the humidity of the week made it a rather trying experience for the officers who were in full protective gear.
-Photo Courtesy of Monrovia PD