“It's all a bunch of new techniques, new stuff to learn. I’m going in with an open mind and a willingness to learn new stuff,” said Pierce.
Officers aren’t just learning from their own higher-ups, there are specialists from other departments in the valley and the F.B.I.
“[We] see how other teams tackle the same kinds of problems. There’re always a variety of different tactics to solve various problems. This is just an opportunity for them to network with each other,” said Brian Jones with the F.B.I. which hosted the training.
While our cameras were allowed to film a lot of physical training, certain tactical maneuvers, like how they handle hostage situations, are top secret. It's a rare opportunity to work side-by-side with officers they may one day see in the field, before it's the real thing.
“You never know when you might be teamed up with somebody from Clovis P.D., Sheriff’s Department, Porterville, anybody, and it's good to be able to work together as one team,” said Pierce.
The training lasted all day Wednesday and the hope is that this will be the first of an annual training exercise.