County SRT holds training at Red Bay

By Staff
Melissa Dozier-Cason, FCT staff writer
RED BAY – The Franklin County Special Response Team (SRT) participated in active shooter training at the Red Bay Police firing range Monday.
The training focused on firearms. The team trained for eight hours on different specialized weapons that may be used during the different emergency situations, Scottie Belue, deputy commander of SRT, said.
"Specialized training is a must for law enforcement," Belue said.
The team went over different emergency scenarios including: hostage situations, active shooter, search and rescue, barricaded suspects, felony take downs, warrant services, hostage rescue and specialty details, and special society, Belue said.
SRT members undergo large amount of training in order to be ready when the time comes, Belue said.
"When your life depends on having a skill, it's too late to learn it," Belue said.
Franklin County's SRT was established in March 2006 and has been called out several times since.
The team is made up of members from the sheriff's department, district attorney's office, Russellville Police department and the Red Bay Police Department.
Franklin County's SRT would not exist if it did not have support from law enforcement, the community, and other agencies, Belue said.
"It takes support, equipment, training, and dedication to run an SRT," Belue said.