Statewide SWAT Training in Macon

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Gunshots rang through East Bibb County Tuesday, but it was only SWAT teams preparing for high-risk situations like hostage situations, terrorrist threats and confronting dangerous suspects.

"Typically, when we're called in, it's for the worst situations and it's the people who need the most help," said SWAT member Zach Barrett with the Walton County Sheriff's Office.

Their job is to save lives and put a peaceful end to stressful situations.  Drills aim to make training as realistic as possible,
testing mental and physical limits.  Officers wear a minimum of 70 pounds of protective gear before entering life-threatening situations.

, "Whenever we enter into a residence that's barricaded or something like that and you have a gunman on the other side, it's a threat to us," said Training Lt. Richard Crooms with Bibb County Sheriff's Office.  "If we don't have it second nature to us, it could be critical."

SWAT officer from Douglas County Chuck Catlin said, "Being a tactical officer, you have to want to do it."  That's because SWAT members are trained and tested more than an average patrol officer. 

An advantage of training with other agencies is learning from one another.  Barrett said, "It's always helpful to have extra scenarios thrown at you that we don't typically see.  We're in a rural area, we get to see what big city cops do and their SWAT teams, so we get to learn stuff all the time."

About 200 SWAT officers from 28 law enforcement agencies across Georgia are in Macon for the 6th annual Georgia Tactical Officers Association conference.  The training includes more than 20 classes.  The organization's Training Director, Dennis Valone, said, "Macon P.D., Warner Robins P.D. and Bibb County Sheriff's Office helped us out tremendously.  They were willing to do it so we chose down here and it actually turned out to be our biggest conference ever."

Most SWAT teams train an average of 8-16 hours a month.  Some teams require members pass every test -- from physical to firearm drills -- or they are put on probation.