Annie Voetberg participates in the pull-up event in the Centralia SWAT challenge Wednesday morning at Tiger Stadium.
Kids join adults in running the "I Ran From The Cops" 8K Wednesday morning near Tiger Stadium.
A woman and her Basset Hound, both dressed in patriotic garb participate in the "I Ran From The Cops" 8K Wednesday morning near Tiger Stadium.
Participants run in the "I Ran From The Cops" 8K Wednesday morning near Tiger Stadium.
Monroe Dalrymple, 11, left, attempts to drag a dummy weighing around 200 pounds during the Centralia S.W.A.T challenge Wednesday morning at Tiger Stadium.
Emery Dalrymple, 10, participates in the sledgehammer run event in the Centralia S.W.A.T challenge Wednesday morning at Tiger Stadium.
Larry Mays, 66, looks at his number card as he finishes the "I Ran From The Cops" 8K Wednesday morning near Tiger Stadium.
Samantha Johnstone, 12, attempts to drag a dummy weighing around 200 pounds during the Centralia S.W.A.T challenge Wednesday morning at Tiger Stadium.
Tucker Voetberg falls to the ground in an attempt to regain his breath during the Centralia S.W.A.T challenge Wednesday morning at Tiger Stadium.
Members of the public got to meet a special member of the local law enforcement community on Wednesday morning.
Then, they dragged him up and down the track that rings the Centralia High School football field just outside Fort Borst Park.
Fred, the name given to 195 pounds of old fire hoses, duct tape and a tactical vest arranged in the shape of an adult human, was one of the obstacles that made up the SWAT Challenge put on Wednesday morning by members of the Centralia Police Department and Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
“This is like the test the FBI gives for their SWAT program,” Centralia Police Detective Corey Butcher said. “We adopted it for our Lewis County team.”
For the first time this year, regular citizens were given the chance at Summerfest to go through modified tasks taken from the official entry-level SWAT team exam given at the federal level as well as by local agencies.
Dragging Fred’s limp “body” about 10 yards was part of the obstacle course portion featuring two laps around the track and a number of push-up stations marked by traffic cones.
Competitors later ran a 40-yard dash while carrying a sledgehammer or other tactical tools, then completed pull-ups while wearing a backpack weighing 25 pounds.
Prior editions of the SWAT Challenge put on each Fourth of July entailed rounds of sit-ups, push-ups as well as other generic feats of strength and endurance.
“This is more specific to a possible mission,” Butcher said. “Everything here represents something you could see during a given operation.”
Men and women of all ages made their way to the stadium Wednesday morning to try their luck. Most were able to complete the challenges without help; some of the younger children required assistance to gain enough leverage to move Fred.
Prizes were given to the top performers in categories based on age and gender.
Jason Koppelberger, a 46-year-old man from Rochester, competed in his third SWAT Challenge. Some of the new activities reminded him of his experiences in the U.S. Army.
“I think this is more fun and unique than it was before,” Koppelberger said. “I do obstacle runs for the same reason. You have to think your way through stuff.”
Butcher expected to see about 60 people complete the challenge by the end of the morning. More than crowning winners, he hoped the event would forge a positive bond between law enforcement and the community.
“We want to have positive interactions between the two,” Butcher said. “It also gives people a taste of what police officers have to go through to be in some of those positions.”
