The Issaquah Explorers Post 117 took second place overall at the annual Tactical Team Competition in Federal Way Feb. 20-21.
Along with 13 other agencies from Washington, Oregon and California — the six-member team competed in 10 different scenario events, including a bus “assault/hostage,” a “sniper” challenge and a warrant service on a house “armed” with subjects inside. Team members included explorers Marshall Griffin, Erik Rasmussen, Alex Anderson, Erinn Hill, Nikki Buzzell, and Nathan Donwen.
A city press release commended the young adults performance, applauding their participation as “a great job, and came away excited about the challenge and their potential future in law enforcement.”
Some of the events included:
* Explorers Rapid Response – Active shooter scenario.
* Reality Based Training – Simulation event on a developing call for service that turns into a man with a gun.
* Obstacle Course (as a team) – Includes running up six flights of stairs, locating specific items and then running back down to the finish.
The competition events and challenges were drafted and graded by members of the Valley SWAT team. The participants were held to very high standards and a grading system similar to the one actually used by the Valley SWAT team.
With training, the Explorers, ages 14-20, provide services to the community and the IPD, including traffic details, crime prevention outreach and fingerprinting.
The IPD Explorer program is led by Officer Brian Horn and Detective Ryan Raulerson. For more information, visit the Issaquah Police Department Web site.
