Safety matters to us, both within our company and within the communities we serve. 

With that in mind, our team in Spencer, Iowa, was especially proud to donate $4,000 toward the purchase of a High-Risk Entry and Arrest Team (HEAT) bus for the Arnolds Park Police Department. The bus is equipped with a dispatch center, negotiation space and will carry equipment and personnel. 

HEAT is a multi-agency response team consisting of 28 agencies and covering approximately 5,760 square miles of northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota. The members of HEAT are specifically trained and equipped to resolve critical high-risk situations. The team consists of a commander, team leaders, operators, crisis negotiators, snipers, drone pilots, tactical dispatchers, tactical medics and a logistics coordinator. Many of the team members are cross-trained and serve in multiple roles. 

HEAT responds to high-risk operations including barricaded subjects, anti-sniper actions, hostage rescue operations and other events that would put officers at excessive risk. The drone team is often requested to assist with search and rescue operations including fleeing suspects, missing children, drowning victims and more. 

“We are pleased to be able to assist the Arnolds Park Police Department with this contribution,” said Heath, operations supervisor in Spencer. “This vehicle will be available to respond in over 13 communities we serve in northwest Iowa and aligns perfectly with our values of partnership and safety.”