Local SWAT Officials Say Entering Homes Is Last Resort

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- ABC23 spoke with local Special Weapons and Tactics team officers Thursday to find out how they deal with standoff situations.

The reccurring theme was, “It's all in the training.”

SWAT members said they know when entering a hostile environment that their lives could be taken away in an instant.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Department SWAT team said its training has become second nature as it gets called out 30 to 50 times a year.

Their goal is to bring peaceful endings to every standoff.

These men are highly trained using specialized equipment and gear like heavy body armor, entry tools, armored vehicles and high-powered weapons.

They said the more tense the situation gets, they more they rely on their training to keep their cool.

They also said it’s a last resort when entering a home to bring a suspect into custody.

Sgt. Ed Komin of the Sheriff’s Department SWAT Team said, “We do everything possible not to enter a home.”

The Sheriff’s Department SWAT team has 28 members with specialized units that include entry personnel, crisis negotiators and snipers.