SWAT team dreams

Members of the Salt Lake police SWAT team don't get paid any extra for being a member.

They have to be prepared at a moment's notice to respond to an emergency regardless of whether they've just completed a 10-hour shift on their regular beat or are attending a birthday party or other special family function. They often put their own lives in harm's way to protect the public.

But still, it's one of the most sought-after positions in the department.

This week, more than two dozen men and women will be driven into physical and emotional fatigue as part of an exhaustive six-day SWAT school training session in hopes of showing their commanders that they've got what it takes to be one of law enforcement's elite crime fighters.

SWAT stands for Special Weapons And Tactics. They are the ones who are called to resolve standoffs, hostage situations and to serve warrants in potentially violent situations. As team members will tell you, they are called out to the worst of the worst incidents. They are required to get the job done because there is no backup to call after SWAT is called out.

Some officers say the Salt Lake Police Department's SWAT school is among the hardest in the state. Those leading the course can't remember there ever being a year in which one or more people didn't drop out before the week was completed.

This year, 39 people signed up, said Lt. Isaac Atencio. Five dropped out before the school even began. Four more dropped out after just the first three hours — including one person that had to be taken to the hospital to be monitored as a precaution.

The school lost one more person Sunday morning during the grueling obstacle course when one officer was taken to the hospital after suffering a possible dislocated shoulder.

Finding the right officer to join SWAT isn't just about the strongest or the most physically fit. It's also about finding the person who is the best team player under the most stressful situations.

On Sunday, with a chilly wind blowing and the threat of rain all around, three vans pulled into the Bountiful Range near the Davis County Landfill. The members of the SWAT school all quickly filed out and lined up. As they were ordered to do several sets of pushups and leg lifts — all while wearing bullet-proof vests and helmets — they were told about the grueling obstacle course they were about to run. This was on top of a 5-mile run the group began their day with at 3 a.m.