April 30, 2025
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Ogle County News

Medics embedded with Ogle County ERT team

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The members of the Ogle County Emergency Response Team gather with officials that worked to get medics embedded with the SWAT team. The six officials in the middle of the back row are Tom Pratt, Swedish American Hospital EMS, Jon Strotkamp,Swedish American Hospital EMS Director, Jon Underwood, DO FACEP Swedish American emergency physician, Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle, and Rochelle Fire Chief Dave Sawsville. Photo by Chris Johnson

By Chris Johnson

cxjohnson@oglecounty

news.com

Medics will now join the Ogle County Emergency Response Team (ERT) to ensure the quickest response to medical issues that may occur during police procedures.

Ogle County Sheriff’s Brian VanVickle was joined by officials from Swedish American Hospital May 17 during the official announcement for the implementation of medics (TEMS) imbedded with the Ogle County Emergency Response Team.

“During the past twenty months we have worked very hard to implement this new resource,” VanVickle said in a press release. “The process involved many hours of training for the paramedics in SWAT tactics, but is also required cooperation from the doctors at Swedish American Hospital to authorize treatment protocols. We understand the challenges we, in law enforcement, face and have been committed to changing the way we do business, making sure our officers and deputies are treated in a timely manner.”

The TEMS team is the first established in northern Illinois.

It also allows medical responders to go into areas that were not normally accessible until a scene was completely secured.

“I would like to thank Byron Fire Chief Galen Bennett and Rochelle Fire Chief Dave Sawsville for allowing members of their department to join the team,” VanVickle said. “I would also like to thank Dr. John underwood and Swedish American Hospital for seeing the need.”

The SWAT Medic team includes Emergency Medicine Physicians Dr. Jon Strotkamp and Dr. John Underwood along with a others from Swedish American’s EMS team.

Katryna Kirby, Swedish American Hospital, issued a press release about the partnership.

“Having a SWAT Medic Team aligned with a resource hospital is unique,” Kirby said in the release. “The SWAT Medic team is comprised of a few physicians and all paramedics, but they also are trained to respond to situations that are handled by the police.”

For example, the team responded with the police to a stand-off situation last month in Leaf River.

Strotkamp and Underwood participated in a drill May 17 with the ERT.

Although it isn’t likely that they would ever respond to a situation, as they would need extensive training on firearms in order to do that, Underwood is the medical director and all protocols they operate under in the field are approved by him,” Kirby said. “This training drill is an opportunity for Underwood to see the type of training the SWAT Medic Team goes through as it isn’t a typical EMS service but still an important one.”

The ERT team has access to a BAE Caiman 6x6 MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicle that VanVickle received for the U.S. Department of Defense and Homeland Security for no cost last year.

The vehicle can carry numerous passengers in the rear of the truck and will be used to safely transport the ERT team and the medics during emergency situations.

The Ogle County Sheriff’s Department also has a Humvee that can be used when the ERT team is needed.