The Emergency Response Team is responsible for assisting and dealing with any situation where extreme danger/firearms are above the ability of detachments or other policing partners. The team is trained to use weapons, equipment and tactics to respond to any possible public safety danger. They are highly trained and specialized experts in weapons not normally used by general duty members or seen by the public.
The team is skilled in resolving matters such as:
Due to the variety of calls they may be sent to, members are trained to respond to situations during the day or night. They learn to also adapt to all types of terrain, locations, and weather conditions, penetrate barricades and strongholds, gather and preserve evidence, and, if necessary, engage in close-quarter combat, evacuate hostages, and capture offenders.
ERT also provides a support or consultative role for local investigators. These investigations requiring their specialized expertise, include police involved shootings and firearm files.
ERT covers a wide geographic area by operating as a floating work-site team. Teams are fully equipped to respond directly to a call from their residences and are not anchored to a main office.
If there happens to be multiple calls in a day, calls are responded to on a threat based priority system.
Investigations into these major cases involving ERT are often cross-jurisdictional in nature (eg: crime planned in one municipality, committed in another, while evidence is disposed of in a third). ERT is able to address, operate, and coordinate operations across municipal boundaries acting as a single cohesive team.
Facts and Stats about B.C.’s Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team:
Visit our National RCMP site to read about the Training and Selection Criteria required to become part of the Emergency Response Team once you have been a regular member for a minimum of 3 years.