DUNMORE, Pa. — Lackawanna County SWAT has a new place to train.
The tactical team made up of officers from all different departments took over the former Scranton School for the Deaf Wednesday to train.
The school, on a sweeping property in both Scranton and Dunmore, is now the Patriot Resource Center for The Jarrett Yoder Foundation. The veterans' organization opened its doors to the SWAT team.
"It's a great property for them to train on because there's a lot of cubby holes and hallways and dark corners, all kinds of rooms. It's kind of a maze. So, it's a great place for them to train," said the foundation's director of admissions Tracy Fiore.
"I believe they have hostage scenarios, officer down scenarios, and a couple other little things thrown in as surprises," said SWAT member and Archbald Police Chief Tim Trently.
Trently told Newswatch 16 the team fundraises to pay for this kind of training. Finding a location that suits their needs is often a challenge.
"The Lackawanna County SWAT team sponsors a purse bingo yearly, and we use it for training like this," he added.
The SWAT team couldn't show Newswatch 16 exactly how they train; their methods are mostly kept secret. The training prepares them for all kinds of situations.
Officials with the Patriot Resource Center said the SWAT team is welcome at the school to train. It will eventually be used for counseling and housing veterans.
"I think it's a good presence to have on the property, they've trained here before, and we're more than willing to create a good relationship with the local law enforcement," Fiore added.
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