Hamilton Reef
09-22-2005, 06:42 PM
Boats used for tactical training
http://www.ludingtondailynews.com/news.php?story_id=28751
By JOE BOOMGAARD Daily News Staff Writer
jboomgaard@ludingtondailynews.com 843-1122, ext. 309
One might not think of Ludington and western Michigan as a target of terrorist attacks, but regional law enforcement agencies want to be prepared for the worst.
Law enforcement agencies from across the state came to Ludington for a training exercise put on by HSS International. The group is a privately-run company comprised of active or former law enforcement agents and military officers, and operates training courses across the country to help agencies prepare for specific scenarios.
The session the group held in Ludington on Wednesday dealt specifically with ship interdiction, or boarding vessels from the dock or while moving and securing them. Six agencies, including representatives from the Mason, Oceana, Muskegon, and Berrien Sheriff’s Offices, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Michigan State Police, showed up for the training.
The group trained on smaller vessels in the harbor on Tuesday, but moved on to the much larger S.S. Spartan on Wednesday. The officers trained in two simultaneous scenarios that involved boarding the Spartan, searching and securing it.
“We needed to get the specific training on a boat the size of the Badger,” said Tom Posma, a detective and SERT team leader for the Mason County Sheriff’s Office. “This is showing us how to safely board and secure a boat of that size.”
Given Ludington’s position as a major boating hub, the training is beneficial for the Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team (SERT).
“There are a lot of boats in the area, so if there is ever a problem, these guys need the expertise and the knowledge about what to do in those types of situations,” said Tim LaSage, an instructor for HHS. “Their main responsibility is to protect the port. With ships specifically, we’re training them in what to do to take over a vessel. All of this is very important for Homeland Security.”
LeSage said that all infrastructure and transportation, including the Lake Michigan Carferry, presents a vulnerable area for possible terrorist attacks. “Public transportation...has a history of being a target for terrorist attacks. Most terrorists are cowardly and target civilians — who we have to protect,” LeSage said. He pointed to the recent bus attacks in London as evidence that public transportation requires a high level of protection.
The training instructors had the ability to fire simunitions, regularly-shaped ammunition with conical paint bullets, and they can fire at the trainees if they are not following procedure or are leaving themselves open or vulnerable.
“(Terrorists) don’t want to be caught, so they’ll take out as many people as they can, and they’ll hide in some unusual places,” said James Elliott, an HSS trainer. His job was to give the trainees pointers during the exercise and to keep them in line if they exposed themselves to harm.
Elliott stressed that the next terrorist attack might come anywhere, not just in the big cities. Even Ludington could be a target, he said. “We never know where they’ll need us,” he said.
http://www.ludingtondailynews.com/news.php?story_id=28751
By JOE BOOMGAARD Daily News Staff Writer
jboomgaard@ludingtondailynews.com 843-1122, ext. 309
One might not think of Ludington and western Michigan as a target of terrorist attacks, but regional law enforcement agencies want to be prepared for the worst.
Law enforcement agencies from across the state came to Ludington for a training exercise put on by HSS International. The group is a privately-run company comprised of active or former law enforcement agents and military officers, and operates training courses across the country to help agencies prepare for specific scenarios.
The session the group held in Ludington on Wednesday dealt specifically with ship interdiction, or boarding vessels from the dock or while moving and securing them. Six agencies, including representatives from the Mason, Oceana, Muskegon, and Berrien Sheriff’s Offices, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Michigan State Police, showed up for the training.
The group trained on smaller vessels in the harbor on Tuesday, but moved on to the much larger S.S. Spartan on Wednesday. The officers trained in two simultaneous scenarios that involved boarding the Spartan, searching and securing it.
“We needed to get the specific training on a boat the size of the Badger,” said Tom Posma, a detective and SERT team leader for the Mason County Sheriff’s Office. “This is showing us how to safely board and secure a boat of that size.”
Given Ludington’s position as a major boating hub, the training is beneficial for the Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team (SERT).
“There are a lot of boats in the area, so if there is ever a problem, these guys need the expertise and the knowledge about what to do in those types of situations,” said Tim LaSage, an instructor for HHS. “Their main responsibility is to protect the port. With ships specifically, we’re training them in what to do to take over a vessel. All of this is very important for Homeland Security.”
LeSage said that all infrastructure and transportation, including the Lake Michigan Carferry, presents a vulnerable area for possible terrorist attacks. “Public transportation...has a history of being a target for terrorist attacks. Most terrorists are cowardly and target civilians — who we have to protect,” LeSage said. He pointed to the recent bus attacks in London as evidence that public transportation requires a high level of protection.
The training instructors had the ability to fire simunitions, regularly-shaped ammunition with conical paint bullets, and they can fire at the trainees if they are not following procedure or are leaving themselves open or vulnerable.
“(Terrorists) don’t want to be caught, so they’ll take out as many people as they can, and they’ll hide in some unusual places,” said James Elliott, an HSS trainer. His job was to give the trainees pointers during the exercise and to keep them in line if they exposed themselves to harm.
Elliott stressed that the next terrorist attack might come anywhere, not just in the big cities. Even Ludington could be a target, he said. “We never know where they’ll need us,” he said.