By Ed Stannard
Hartford Courant
WATERBURY, Conn. 鈥� Emergency physicians Dr. Scott Whyte and Dr. Wes Kyle have been putting their lives on the line for years with regional SWAT teams, backing up the police in hostile situations and treating injuries, whether their patients are the police or the suspects.
The two doctors at in Waterbury recently were sworn in as official volunteer members of the .
鈥淚t鈥檚 an honor for me just to be recognized as one among them officially, although I think they felt that way already,鈥� said Whyte, a member of the , or SWAT, which serves Waterbury, Watertown, Wolcott, Naugatuck and Naugatuck Valley Community College and its environs.
Being a member of the SWAT team, even unofficially, assures Whyte that when he鈥檚 鈥渋n potentially life-threatening situations 鈥� that the person standing next to you will do whatever it takes to make sure we get out. It鈥檚 a bond that doesn鈥檛 come easily.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very sincere gesture for them to say that they appreciate what we鈥檙e doing and are willing to give us this honor. It was quite moving to see how much the chief 鈥� was willing to do to make it happen,鈥� Whyte said.
Kyle recently joined Waterbury SWAT but also serves on the , which serves Bloomfield , Farmington, Avon, Kent, Simsbury, Windsor Locks and Windsor. He also is a member of the National Guard and served in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa.
Kyle said after 10 years his wife suggested he might want to stop.
鈥淎nd I distinctly remember one of the guys telling me that his wife told him that she felt more comfortable knowing that I was there to have her husband鈥檚 back, and relaying that to my wife made it make sense to her and why we continue to do it,鈥� he said.
鈥楩ive, 10 minutes really make a difference鈥�
Technically, becoming members of the Naugatuck police gives the doctors civil liability, in addition to their medical liability through . They will wear special badges but do not carry weapons, similar to the department chaplains.
The doctors said they serve a real need in the field, where 鈥渟erving high-risk warrants鈥� is the most common reason to call in the SWAT team. The second most common is a barricaded suspect, whether holding a hostage or not, Kyle said.
鈥淚t became clear that care needed to be provided as close to the point of injury as possible,鈥� Kyle said. 鈥淎nd traditionally, police operations, ambulances would be waiting outside in the cold zone, and any casualties had to be brought out to them. And it was critical. Five, 10 minutes really make a difference.鈥�
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He said it鈥檚 helpful having a doctor who鈥檚 familiar with SWAT tactics, who鈥檚 in the rear of the group. 鈥淭hen that way, if an officer does get hit or injured, we can be there very quickly to provide that care,鈥� Kyle said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 mostly all just hemorrhage control by and large. And then work to extricate that officer out and then transport back to a hospital.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e also there to aid any casualties, even if they are the suspect of the operation, once they鈥檝e been rendered safe,鈥� Whyte added.
Whyte said he became involved with the police when he was asked to give 鈥渂leed control, instruction with tourniquets, packing, etc., as well as advanced field care medicine to the SWAT team. And so it evolved from there that I started to go to trainings, and then they asked if I wanted to join in with the team and that鈥檚 how I became involved.鈥�
Kyle, who was serving with the 2nd Infantry Regiment of Connecticut鈥檚 National Guard as a battalion surgeon, connected with North Central Regional SWAT through his sergeant major, who was a Bloomfield police officer.
While a bill giving immunity to doctors who accompany SWAT teams has been proposed in the General Assembly, it has not made it to a vote, Whyte said. So becoming sworn members of Naugatuck鈥檚 police force was the alternative.
鈥淚鈥檝e been invited to receive a plaque and some of these other honors, but not sworn to the point where we have the civil liability protection, which by and far has been kind of an issue,鈥� Whyte said.
鈥淏ecause we weren鈥檛 sworn officers of the team, there wasn鈥檛 coverage afforded to us,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o each time we鈥檇 go out, we鈥檇 basically be kind of hanging it out that if someone wanted to come after us civilly nothing could say that they couldn鈥檛 do that. And then it would be up to us to represent ourselves.鈥�
He said he hopes other police departments will follow Naugatuck鈥檚 lead.
鈥淚t鈥檚 more than just about Wes and I at this point,鈥� Whyte said. 鈥淭his kind of opens the door for other municipalities, particularly police chiefs to say, well, if Naugatuck did this, I guess we could do this with our team, which will in effect allow other physicians to feel comfortable to say, well, if I can be protected legally, then I would like to volunteer as well.鈥�
Kyle said the system is common elsewhere in the country. 鈥淚 have ER doc friends in other states and police departments just deputize them,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey essentially become a sworn officer. And then they have all the coverage they need. And it鈥檚 a much more formalized position. We鈥檝e always been kind of lagging behind and it鈥檚 always been a gray zone for us.鈥�
Naugatuck Police Chief Colin McAllister agreed.
鈥淯nfortunately there鈥檚 only a small number of physicians that choose to do this in Connecticut, but this is a very common practice across the rest of the country,鈥� he said.
鈥淚鈥檓 just not sure why we don鈥檛 see it here in Connecticut, but most major agencies all across the country have a physician who will show up with these teams at high-risk situations,鈥� he said.
McAllister said the doctors鈥� willingness to serve with the police is commendable, given the stress of the Emergency Department.
鈥淚 really think that speaks to their character of who they are,鈥� he said of their willingness to go out with the SWAT team.
鈥淭hey go through a tremendous amount of training to be a doctor. And then they work in an emergency room setting during their day job, and then they still choose to go out and give back to the communities that they鈥檙e already working in after hours as volunteers. I think that speaks a lot about who they are,鈥� he said.
Kim Kalajainen, president of St. Mary鈥檚 Hospital, said in a statement:
鈥淭he Saint Mary鈥檚 Hospital family is incredibly proud of Drs. Kyle and Whyte for their willingness to volunteer their time in support of our SWAT teams across the greater Waterbury area. Their extraordinary medical knowledge, experience and passion for emergency medicine support the important work of the SWAT teams. Saint Mary鈥檚 is grateful and appreciative for Naugatuck Mayor (Pete) Hess and Chief (Colin) McAllister鈥檚 vision, advocacy and support in making this initiative a reality and leading the State of Connecticut with this medical support for the SWAT teams.鈥�
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