U.S. Secret Service CAT & Support Partner SWAT Team Interoperability Familiarization Course

Course Goal: 

Dignitary/Executive Protection for high-profile individuals such as the President of the United States and high-level U.S. Government Cabinet Members is of the utmost importance.  These individuals are at risk of kidnapping, cyber threats, physical harm, stalking, and intimidation due to their positions held.   These threats weigh heavily on these individuals regarding their individual governmental function decisions, how they live their daily lives, and further how they interact with the public.  These individuals often travel to high-risk areas or engage in public engagements on a large scale that require coordinated planning and execution in conjunction with the United States Secret Service’s Counter Assault Team (CAT), which provides full-time tactical support to the U.S. Secret Service’s Protective Operations Division.  This familiarization course for tactical officers serves to familiarize the tactical SWAT officer with CAT Team capabilities and how their support is best maximized to support interoperability with the CAT Team when assistance is requested for large detail operations. 

Course Objective: 

This one-day, 8-hour course is designed to facilitate familiarization and interoperability between the United States Secret Service’s Counter Assault Team (CAT) and local law enforcement Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams. This course gives an introduction to the CAT Team and large detail dignitary protection/protective operations beyond small unit details. This course will foster terminology familiarization and conceptual operational concepts for SWAT officers who may be asked to help support U.S. Secret Service CAT Team dignitary protection/protective operation details during planned large-scale events. This course includes facilitated group discussions and tabletop exercises to further knowledge, understanding, and planning capabilities for attending tactical officers. 

Topics Include: 

• Introduction to the CAT Team & Large Detail Operations 

• Importance of CAT-SWAT Interoperability 

• CAT Team Capabilities Briefing 

• Importance & Establishment of Link-Up Locations 

• Identification of Site/Route Vulnerabilities 

• Tactical SWAT Placement Supporting CAT Team Operations 

• Gridded Reference Graphic (GRG) Use & Locational Awareness 

• Effective & Coordinated Communications Among Tactical Units 

• Physical Site Walk-Through Discussion & Exercise 

• Practical Scenario Discussions & Tabletop Exercises 

• Problem-Solving & Tactical Considerations Group Exercises & Discussions 

Who Should Attend: 

• APOSTC Certified Tactical Unit Officers 

• APOSTC Certified Tactical Unit Leaders 

• POST Certified Tactical Unit Members (Outside State of Alabama) 

• Any APOSTC/POST Certified Officers Seeking to Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Large-Scale Executive/Dignitary Protection Operations (Current Tactical Team Status Not Required, But Course Is Tailored to Tactical Units) 

APOSTC Continuing Education Credit: 

• This Training Provides Eight (8) Hours of APOSTC CEU Credits or  
• This Training Provides Eight (8) Hours of POST CEU Credits for Outside States (If Approved By Your State)