The Emergency Response Unit is part of the Bureau of Special Operations. The ERU Commander is appointed by the Chief of Police. This unit is staffed by officers from throughout the police department on an “on-call” basis and is maintained to ensure the department’s capability to respond to special operations incidents, including and not limited to:
- Hostage and barricaded persons
- Drug seizures operations
- Protection details
- Crowd control
- Rapid response deployment
- Service of high-risk search and arrest warrants
The ERU currently consists of part-time team members, vehicle operators, and a videographer. The Crisis Negotiation Unit directly supports the efforts of ERU during hostage and barricaded person situations. ERU also utilizes the assistance of other Special Operations Units to include, the Hazardous Devices Unit, Air Support Unit, and Canine Unit to ensure an effective response to critical incidents. During any call-out situation, all employees directly related to the scene are under the authority and command of the Emergency Response Unit Commander.