Photo of the Day: The heat is on

Metro Wire Staff

Members of the joint Stevens Point/Plover Special Response Team conduct a training exercise in sweltering temps on August 10.

The high temperature on Tuesday afternoon was 86 degrees, with a heat index of 99.5, according to ploverweather.com.

Lt. John Moss of the Stevens Point Police Department, who oversaw the training, said the exercise was put together quickly once the department learned there was a vacant house on the 2200 block of Rice St. scheduled for demolition. The department was unable to close the road to traffic because it was only a training event, he said.

In Tuesday’s scenario, the SRT was responding to an armed hostage situation, with the suspect and victim being portrayed by on-duty officers. The department used its MRAP— its armored vehicle—for personnel transport and as a shield from the “armed” suspect. Officers used fake weapons with orange tips from the training. 

Moss said SRT members train as often as they are able to throughout the year. Tuesday’s training was also an effort to bring new department members into the fold, he said.