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NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:  Monday, February 25, 2008

HARTFORD POLICE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM
TO TRAIN IN DEFENSE TECHNIQUES

(Hartford) - Members of the Hartford Police Department's Emergency Response Team will be training in "empty handed defense techniques" with Karate Hall of Fame inductee and World Champion Grandmaster Kevin Sullivan on Wednesday, February 27, 2008, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

The training, a first of its kind for the team, will be held at the A.U.U.S.O.M.A. Black Belt School of America located at 1235 Farmington Avenue, Bristol.

The media is invited to attend the training exercise and to film and interview participants.  For more information contact ERT Commander Lieutenant James A. Bernier at 860-757-4036, or 860-761-4313.

Below is a brief history of the HPD's Emergency Response Team:

The “Emergency Response Team” is the Hartford Police Department’s version of S.W.A.T. The team is comprised of 25 Officers from all bureaus of the Department. These Officers are “on call” 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on a voluntary basis. They are tasked with the responsibility of bringing positive outcomes to High Risk incidents while minimizing the risk to the citizens of the City of Hartford and other officers.

All officers on the Team are hand selected through a rigorous process and are required to complete, a 40 hour Basic SWAT school along with attending two days a month of specialty training. This is coupled with mandatory monthly qualifications on all weapons. The Sniper element of the Team trains an additional one day a month to further ensure their readiness.

E.R.T. is lead by a Lieutenant, James A. Bernier a 14 year Hartford Police veteran and former United States Marine. He is a certified Police Firearms, SWAT, Rifle and Sniper instructor and a graduate of the National Tactical Officers Association’s SWAT Command and Supervision School. Lieutenant Bernier has been affiliated with E.R.T. since 1998.  

There are 5 Sergeants on E.R.T. as Team Leaders. These Sergeants: Charles Cochran, Michael Manson, Robert Nelson, Francis Perrone and Jason Thody have a combined Police experience of 71 years. They are responsible for leading E.R.T. officers during active tactical operations.

In 2007, the Hartford Police E.R.T. conducted 37 tactical operations in the City of Hartford. These missions ranged from Barricaded Persons to Arrest/Search Warrant Services to Dignitary Protection Details.

Click here for more background on the HPD's Emergency Response Team.

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Contact:   Nancy Mulroy, Public Information Officer, Hartford Police Department,  (860) 757-4021
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