SERT

Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team (S.E.R.T.) Holds Graduation Ceremony

According to Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol, a formal graduation ceremony was held today at the Sheriff’s Office for twelve Correction Officers who successfully completed several weeks of intense training to be part of a specialized Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team, otherwise known as S.E.R.T. These men and women

have completed a very rigorous academy which included physical fitness training, less-lethal munitions training, riot disturbance control techniques, interpersonal communication, self-defense training, cell extraction training, chemical agent deployments, and hours of classroom instruction.

The Oneida County Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team was founded in the early 1990’s by Retired Sheriff Daniel Middaugh. The purpose of this elite unit is to recruit highly motivated staff members to carry out duties both inside the correctional facility as well as out in the public if necessary. These officers will be called upon at any time to handle situations that require a higher level of training and skills. They will be called upon if needed to carry out the movement of high risk inmates, the quelling of major disturbances, the extraction of inmates from their cells, and any other situation the Sheriff, Undersheriff, or Chief Deputy deems their deployment as necessary. Their desire to enlist in, and complete this academy, shows remarkable dedication and commitment to duty on their behalf.

The Officers that successfully completed this specialized training and that are now part of the Oneida County S.E.R.T. include:

Officer Michael DiNardo

Officer Jeremy Fahey

Officer Amber Hale

Officer Merzuk Hozanovic

Officer Joseph Kierpiec

Officer Leeann Kiskiel

Officer Casey Lewis

Officer Colin McDaniels

Sergeant Amanda Phister

Officer John Searles

Officer Landon Slawson

Officer Mark Sutter

(In the attached, Sheriff Robert Maciol, Undersheriff Joseph Lisi, and Chief Deputy Greg Pflieger join the twelve new S.E.R.T. members and their instructors for a photo at the conclusion of today’s ceremony)