By Brian McBride
Editor

A Kissimmee Police Department specialized law enforcement team recently swatted most of the competition at a recent international contest that put its training to the test.

The Kissimmee Police Department’s SWAT team placed eighth at the SWAT Round Up International Competition that ran in December at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office gun range in Orlando.  

Fifty-one teams from around the United States and Europe competed at the event.

It included the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Orange Sheriff’s Office and the Orlando Police Department. The Kissimmee agency bested all three.

“We’re very proficient at what we do,” said Kissimmee Police Sgt. Jeffrey Tambasco and SWAT team commander. “We only accept the best the agency has to offer.”

The competition included events such as a hostage rescue, tower scramble, officer rescue and an obstacle course, scoring well in all of the events, police officials said.  

Kissimmee’s SWAT team is a part-time specialty unit that has more than 20 members, and of those, eight make up the competition team.  

The team trains twice a month to stay sharp and ready for the call of duty.

“The Kissimmee SWAT Team trains very hard to ensure they are providing the best service possible to the citizens of Kissimmee,” said Police Chief Lee Massie, “SWAT roundup is a way for them to compare their skills with those of other teams around the world.  Being named one of the 10 best teams is a huge accomplishment and the department is very proud of their dedication to duty and commitment to excellence.”

The international SWAT competition celebrated its 30th year of competition. The first was held at the Kissimmee Police Department’s gun range.

The weeklong event also included education and training seminars, a trade show along with the competition.

The best placing the team ever received was third, Tambasco said.

So when are they going to score first place?

“We try every year,” Tambasco said.