Emergency Response Unit (ERU) Hazardous Evidence Response Team

The Emergency Response Unit (ERU) Hazardous Evidence Response Team (HERT) is comprised of many highly and regularly trained members and responds to potentially dangerous situations in our jurisdiction. This team is made up of members from various aspects of the department such as Investigations and Patrol. Members are not a full-time Hazardous Materials Response Team and are activated on an on-call basis. The HERT works closely with officers and other first responders to investigate and assist in making safe potentially hazardous incidents. When serving on the HERT, hazardous duty pay is granted and regular attendance to training activities is required. The HERT works closely with our partners from the Manhattan Fire Department and has assisted the community in many types of investigations including evidence collection and processing of crime scenes involving hazardous materials.

The mission of the team is to provide professional response capability to criminal or suspicious hazardous material incidents throughout Manhattan and Riley County. HERT is capable of responding to, investigating and mitigating these incidents through crime scene management, evidence collection, and criminal investigation. HERT may be assisted by other local, state, and federal agencies in determining the extent of the incident and when necessary, involved in documenting, processing, collecting, analyzing, and preserving physical evidence at crime scenes involving chemical, biological, and radiological/nuclear materials. 

Making a commitment to the ERU Hazardous Evidence Response Team requires a minimum employment of 2 years at the Riley County Police Department as well as a selection process. Officers are required to perform various demanding specialized, physical tasks.