Special Events Team (SET)

Who we are and what we do

a structured group of officers and command staff with specialized training in crowd management and crowd control techniques to respond to events that are beyond the capabilities and staffing of patrol
plan, implement, and analyze police services required to manage planned or spontaneous events
SET includes a bike team, a field extrication team, a grenadier team, a logistics team, and a medics team

Our philosophy and principals on managing crowds

we will protect the rights of people to peacefully assemble, to consult for the common good, and to petition the government or any department thereof
to the degree that it can be done safely, it is preferred that crowd participants self regulate and manage their own events
establish communication with the event organizers whenever possible to create mutual understanding, generate cooperation and compliance, and to prevent disorder
obligated to protect community members' rights while maintaining order, protecting property, and ensuring safety, peace, and order

SET Bike Team

The SET Bike Team provides a nimble response option for SET personnel beyond the range and capabilities of on-foot SET personnel. Additionally, this team provides increased accessibility to the public.

Officers on the SET Bike Team attend biannual team trainings that focus on riding and team formations as well as bike handling skills. Riding skills and techniques come from the International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Bicycle Crowd Control team training standards.

SET Community Dialogue Team

The SET Community Dialogue Team (CDT) exists to provide informational and educational opportunities about event and demonstration activities. During events, CDT members work closely with Community Dialogue Representatives and serve as Demonstration/Event Liaisons when feasible.

Members of CDT train biannually on topics such as de-escalation, procedural justice, and conflict resolution.

SET Dignitary Protection Team

The SET Dignitary Protection Team (DPT) may be used during dignitary visits within the jurisdiction of MPD. Members of DPT train biannually and receive specialized training in skills related to planning dignitary visits, providing direct dignitary protection, and driving in a motorcade.

SET Field Extrication Team

The SET Field Extrication Team (FXT) is an internal resource to allow Madison Police Department personnel to better respond to protest events. Members of FXT have specialized training and skills to safely extricate persons from protest devices. Such extrication efforts may be necessary when demonstrators’ actions and/or practices unreasonably impede traffic, restrict the public’s freedom of movement, and/or jeopardize public safety.

Members of FXT train on a quarterly basis and receive specialized training at the Federal Emergency Management Agency Center for Domestic Preparedness.

SET Grenadier Unit

The SET Grenadier Unit exists to ensure the safety of demonstrators, bystanders, and law enforcement officers during crowd control incidents by deploying officers with specialized training and equipment. This training and equipment give SET the capability to safely disperse crowds engaged in unlawful, destructive, and dangerous behavior while maintaining a standoff distance between law enforcement and those engaged in the unlawful assembly. This distance decreases the likelihood of a physical confrontation and can prevent the need for physical intervention options to disperse unlawful assemblies, which results in safer outcomes for everyone involved. Members of the Grenadier Unit train biannually.

SET Logistics Team

The SET Logistics Team is responsible for the organization, standard guidelines, and maintenance of SET’s physical assets. SET equipment includes, but is not limited to, individual protective hard gear for all team members, specialty vehicles and trailers, and other dedicated tools and equipment that allow the team to manage crowds in accordance with the “Madison Method” and MPD’s standard operating procedures (SOPs). Members of the Logistics Team ensure that the entire team is well-prepared when team activations occur.

SET Medics Team

The SET Medics Team augments the capabilities of SET by providing immediate emergency casualty care for officers and community members when it is not safe or feasible for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to immediately respond. The Medics Team consists of approximately 16 team members, each possessing a wide range of training, experience and certifications (including Paramedic, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), and Basic First Aid). Several members of the Medics Team have worked or volunteered in EMS and a number of our officers are certified through the Wisconsin State Department of Justice as Tactical Emergency Casualty Care instructors.

SET Medics receive quarterly training that includes lectures, skills-based training, and scenarios. The SET Medics Team operates under the guidance of the Madison Police Department’s Medical Director, Dr. Ashley Anderson, MD.