Basic SWAT-The Site

The training facility is located in a rural area; therefore, students must bring lunch and hydration each day!

PURPOSE OF COURSE: This five-day, 40-hour course has been designed by Northwest Illinois TRT/ Ogle County ERT for the purpose of providing police officers with the specialized knowledge and skills needed to conduct fundamental SWAT operations and high-risk police actions. 

COURSE GOALS: The goals of this course are as follows: 

• To provide students with a functional understanding of SWAT legal standards, individual skills needed to effectively function within small group and larger team elements.

• To enable students to conduct CQB (close quarters battle) with safe, effective methodology based on the Strong-Wall theory.  To utilize small team movements to safely navigate through structures to accomplish the mission at hand.

• To familiarize students with the priorities of life and priorities of live fire. Establishing good fundamentals so operators are not shooting behind one another or putting themselves or others into crossfire situations.

• To familiarize students to the effects of stress on the human body and how to work through stress and its effects it has on the body, the impacts on coordination, and ability to complete regularly simple tasks. To understand combat mindset through the use of tactical breathing, mental preparation, and situational awareness.

• To familiarize students with the use of specialized SWAT equipment such as ballistic shields, Armored Rescue Vehicles, breaching equipment, chemical munitions, and NFDD deployment.

• To give students the opportunity to conduct multiple FTX scenarios using force on force equipment to test the material taught in class. 

COURSE PREREQUISITES: This course will be offered to sworn personnel of law enforcement, sheriffs, and public safety agencies.  Only personnel who are currently employed by a unit of local government in a sworn capacity will be permitted to attend this program.  Only the Chief, Sheriff, or Public Safety Director of the agency requesting this training - or his/her designated representative - may enroll student officers.   

METHODS OF EVALUATION:     Students will be required to demonstrate knowledge of all course materials.  Additionally, the instructors will evaluate students’ comprehension and retention of course topics based on their participation in discussions and physical techniques demonstrated throughout the course.   

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION:    This course is conducted using the following methods of instruction: 

·         In-class lecture and demonstration

·         In-class general discussion

·         In- field demonstration and discussion

·         Mock operations and drills in real world or simulated environments 

·         Force on Force exercises and shoot no shoot paper target challenges 

 COURSE REQUIREMENTS:      Students are required to fully participate in all practical exercises and discussions conducted throughout the course. They must demonstrate proficiency and safe tactical operations during the week.   Students must demonstrate effective decision making and safe tactical choices during the final “scenario day”. Students committing repeated safety violations may be dismissed from the course.  

Students must bring the following items to class: 

Training Equipment: 

• Rifle and Pistol with 4 magazines each
• 200 rounds of rifle ammo
• 300 rounds of pistol ammo
• Appropriate tactical uniform or long sleeve shirt and pants
• Eye protection
• Ear protection
• Issued body armor, with plates used during tactical operations
• IFAK including tourniquet
• Helmet
• Gloves
• Gun belt
• Rain gear or other weather appropriate clothing
• Lunch/Hydration 

*SIMUNITION PISTOLS and RIFLE CONVERSIONS ALONG WITH SIMUNTION AMMO and SIM HELMETS WILL BE PROVIDED. *