Worcester PD SWAT Team Completes Specialized Tactical Training with Community First Project

Community First Project recently delivered advanced tactical training to members of the Worcester Police Department’s part-time SWAT team. To accommodate the full group, the training was divided into two sessions of three days each, allowing 46 officers to complete an accelerated version of our standard course.

Because of the team’s proficiency with firearms, we omitted the range day and began directly with two-man entries into center-fed and corner-fed rooms, emphasizing roles, coverage, and positioning. The officers quickly progressed to four-man entries and then to live iterations with paper targets to reinforce technique and decision-making under pressure. Training took place across multiple environments, including a mock “triple-decker” apartment—a floorplan common in Worcester—a vacant hotel with a complex layout, and a large unoccupied residence with multiple entry points and staircases.

Each location introduced new challenges, from navigating barricaded flow and hot hallways to implementing “direct to threat” strategies and managing large-team clearances. Officers were required to adapt quickly, communicate effectively, and make real-time tactical decisions based on structure layout and evolving threats.

The Worcester team performed exceptionally well throughout the training. Their cohesion and prior experience were evident, and even veteran officers shared that this was some of the most valuable training they had received in their careers.