Emergency Response Containment Team

Since 1994, the North Bay Police Service has maintained a 12-person Emergency Response Containment Team. Assigned personnel receive special tactical and firearms training and perform these duties in addition to their regular assignments. The availability of this resources better equips the Service to respond to dangerous situations such as hostage taking and/or barricaded persons incidents. The Service also has existing agreements with other Police Services to provide tactical entry teams in the event that such services are required.

Photo (right): Containment Team member D/Cst Larry Asselin receiving training on the ARWEN, a less lethal force option which can fire a rubber projectile.

Through 1998 and 1999, officers from the Emergency Response Team attended several courses where they received specialized training in Police Tactics, Containment, Concealment, Sniper/Observer, Dynamic Entry, Less Lethal Force Options and a number of other related areas. Officers trained with Toronto Police Service ETF, Peel Regional Police Tactical Rescue Unit and the OPP Tactical Rescue Unit.

In addition, training at the local level has incorporated all aspects of Emergency Response with Crisis Negotiators, Commanders and Containment Team members training together in order to use each resource to its fullest potential.

A mock hostage taking incident at the North Bay Psychiatric Hospital proved to be a valuable training tool for all officers involved. This type of training is mandated by the new Adequacy Standards Regulation that takes effect in January of 2001.