Irwin to join Westmoreland County SWAT team
Irwin police are going to join the Westmoreland County Special Weapons and Tactics team.
Irwin Council this week approved an interagency agreement to participate in the SWAT team and to recommend that Cpl. Alex Gillingham apply to be Irwin’s representative.
Gillingham will have to pass the training necessary to be part of the multi-municipality SWAT team, Chief Dan Wensel told council.
Gillingham, the president of Fraternal Order of Police for Irwin’s officers, reviewed the memorandum of understanding that outlined the police department’s participation in the SWAT team, Wensel said.
Wensel told council in August the borough’s participation in the county SWAT would ensure a quicker response to major emergencies that could be handled by the special tactics unit than the one operated by the state police in Greensburg. Police officers from North Huntingdon are part of the county SWAT team, as well as officers from seven other departments, including Greensburg and Murrysville.
Participation in the county SWAT team will cost the borough about $600, a cost determined by the number of departments involved in the team.
Thomas Altman, a son of the late Irwin council member Matilda A. “Pat” Altman, who died in 2014, donated $600 to the borough to help cover the cost of the first year’s fee, Councilman Shawn Stitely said.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.
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