With roughly 59 square miles of its landscape covered by water, Lexington County’s unique geography demands a special approach to public safety. When it comes to ensuring the safety of the community, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department SWAT team goes above and beyond, tackling the most challenging operations, including its waterborne training program.
Special Victims Unit Investigator and LCSD SWAT Training Coordinator, Jeramie Mackinson, reveals the essential components of their waterborne training program. After five years serving in the SWAT unit and roughly four years as a training coordinator, Mackinson has seen how preparing the team with applicable scenarios has led them to handle any situation, providing service and safety to the Lexington County community.
The Components of Waterborne Training
The primary components of Lexington County Sheriff’s Department SWAT Waterborne Training are broken down into three basic segments: introductory to rescue swimming, watercraft exiting and land insertion.
- Introductory to rescue swimming: This begins with operators being placed in a shallow pool to learn about flotation devices and various recovery methods, both unequipped and equipped with gear. Operators must understand how their gear will react when wet.
- Watercraft exiting: This involves training operators to safely exit a moving watercraft without injury, similar to the challenges of exiting a moving car or aircraft.
- Land insertion: This focuses on how to reach land without detection, a skill for covert operations.
Equipping and Preparing the Team
Waterborne training equips operators with the necessary skills for operations involving watercraft. Given Lexington County’s lakes and rivers, such as Lake Murray and the Broad River, operators must be prepared for waterborne incidents.
Mackinson shares, “There are many parts to conducting any operation. Water just adds a different medium in which we have to mitigate the risk of conducting those operations within.”
Beyond the one-day training, operators consistently train throughout the year, including swimming with gear, swimming in clothing and familiarization with various watercraft. This ongoing preparation ensures readiness for waterborne operations.
Real-Life Applications and Scenarios
Given Lexington County’s bodies of water, the SWAT team has to prepare for incidents anywhere, providing top-tier service to citizens.
“Our SWAT team must be ready for hostage rescues and other critical incidents that could occur on or around water,” states Mackinson, highlighting the practical scenarios for training.
Waterborne training is a critical aspect of the SWAT unit’s preparation, ensuring readiness for incidents involving water. Through rigorous and consistent training, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department SWAT team remains equipped to handle any situation, providing the highest level of service and safety to the community.
If you’re interested in joining a team that makes a significant impact in the Lexington County community, check out our current job opportunities. For questions about qualifications or our application process, please contact us.