Roanoke, Colleyville, Keller and Trophy Club first responders came together in Southlake last week for an intense challenge that tested their field skills. Some even got to walk away with an award at the end of it as well.
For three years, Southlake Police Capt. Jose Luna has organized the North Tarrant Regional SWAT Commander’s Challenge for DFW police departments. Incorporating physical challenges into practical field applications, Jose says the Commander’s Challenge includes activities such as a dummy drag, a tire flip and an 82-round rifle and pistol course.
“I run through them myself before I have them do it, just checking that it gives them the stress that I want it to,” Jose explains. “The challenge is designed to elevate the heart rate, increase physical stress and recreate situations officers may find themselves in out on the field."
One of the more challenging feats, he says, is the obstacle course, which equips participants with gas masks and 45-pound weights before they take on the course. One uniquely difficult aspect of the challenge isn’t just the physical feats — it’s the recollective ones as well.
“They need to pay attention to the surroundings as they’re running the course,” Jose says. “At the very end of the competition, they’re asked questions about what they saw and what they can remember. Once we get into any situation, we always have to remember what we went through so we can write an accurate report afterward.”
While the Southlake Fire Department saw representation on the winning team with medic Chris Horne, Jose emphasized that the challenge wasn’t about winning but putting its participants through real-world applications and bringing different police departments together.
“I created this competition not just to keep their skills sharp, but also so different police departments could work together,” Jose says. “We don’t always get the chance to interact on a daily basis. The biggest thing was to give them something to compete in camaraderie — to bring them together and have them work together as a team.”