NASA ERT (SWAT)

KSC ERT Member: The ERT's response time is immediate.

Narrator: Kennedy Space Center's director is commited to make safety at the center a top priority. As part of that commitment, a well-trained Emergency Response Team - or ERT - protects the center's workforce and assets, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Recently 8 members of the ERT competed in the 2013 International SWAT roundup in Orlando Florida, and placed in the top 5 overall.

KSC ERT Member: The SWAT Roundup International competition has anywhere from 50 to 80 teams.

Narrator: These teams come from all across the United States and around the world.

KSC ERT Member: We have numerous opportunites to get together, train, talk about events that have happened in the past, things that we can help each other with in future training environment or future situations.

Narrator: All of the ERT members recently completed intensive annual training at the NASA Protective Services Training Academy and other facilities around the center in order to refresh and keep ther skills current. A wide variety of assets were used during the training, including land vehicles, helicopters, abandoned facilities, special equipment and other resources.

KSC ERT Member: ERT members at KSC have an extensive training regime. We train daily, between operations. We train weekly, as a shift. And we also cap it off with an annual training exercise which is usually 2 weeks, to bring new officers up to speed, and to also refresh some of the more senior officers.

Narrator: The ERT members play a vital role in all of the day to day operations at Kennedy Space Center. They can handle anything from a traffic stop, to active shooter, to a terrorist threat. These skills require discipline and team work.

KSC ERT Member: ERT team members are chosen based on their leadership abilities, their abilities to deal with stress and physical obstacles they may see day to day. Specialism in the ERT team is paramount. You have people in various backgrounds, ranging from law enforcement to military. They're all born leaders and are ready to put it on the line for the employees at Kennedy Space Center.