The objective of MERT is to minimize the risk of serious injury to officers and citizens during a crisis situation, the Madison County Sheriff's Department maintains this specialized unit of officers who are trained and equipped to deal with high-risk events.

The MERT Team is responsible for crisis resolution which is appropriate and maximizes safety, and deployment in lieu of other patrol officers when specialized coverage is required.




MERT is comprised of a six man team, lead by Captain Buddy Harwood.  MERT has two snipers.  The team trains at least once per month for eight hours. 

MERT is also responsible for resolving situations involving:
- manhunts
- barricaded armed subjects - hostage taking
- drugs
- recapture of dangerous escapees
- serving high risk search and arrest warrants when the presence of armed - subjects is known or suspected
- emergency response 

The MERT Team is called out to deal with situations that may require specialized training or resources, to minimize the risk to persons and property.