Emergency Task Force (TPS)

The Emergency Task Force (ETF) is the tactical unit of the Toronto Police Service (TPS). It is mandated to deal with high risk situations like hostage taking, emotionally disturbed persons, high risk arrests, warrant service and protection details. The unit was created in 1965. An earlier non-SWAT Riot and Emergency Squad emerged in 1961. Part of its role is now undertaken by the ETF, Public Safety and Emergency Management and the Mounted Unit. The ETF is a fully manned 24 hours a day tactical response team.

Unlike most SWAT teams, the ETF is not a pure paramilitary unit. The ETF mission profile includes terrorism and counter-terrorism threats in some extreme cases.

The Emergency Task Force currently comprises 82 officers from all units who are tactically trained. There are seven Special Weapons Teams consisting of 10 officers each. The teams are on-call 24 hours a day, every day of the week. Each tactical team has a team leader, assaulters, snipers, bomb technicians, and a negotiator. All team members are trained as assaulters, and thus are able to perform any necessary tasks requiring force.

The negotiation team consists of the two ETF Staff Sergeant supervisors. If a situation is not resolved by a member of a Special Weapons Team, who is a trained negotiator, the negotiation team will be called in to take over the negotiations. In more complex calls involving suicidal, homicidal-suicidal, or violent emotionally disturbed individuals, a forensic psychiatrist, who has been on the negotiation team for the past 22 years, can be called to the scene to advise the negotiators and/or incident commander.

The unit is located in Toronto and is a 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m²) building that was built in 1989. It contains:

Three of the TPS's specialized units compose the ETF. These include the special weapons teams (tactical), explosive disposal unit (EDU), and the emergency response unit (ERU). The ERU provides specialized equipment for the ETF, including high powered lights, crane, and the mobile command post.

The teams train at their Don Mills station, as well as at CFB Borden, a Canadian Forces (CF) base approximately 45 minutes north of Toronto. The unit also trains with members of the CF's counter-terrorism unit Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2), who are based at the Dwyer Hill Training Facility outside of Ottawa.

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Wikipedia