Tuesday, 3/17/2026

"Collaborative Efforts Between 911 & 988" | 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

Description:

This presentation will cover a summary of 988 in Minnesota including what it is, how it works, and who it helps. Representatives from Minnesota’s 988 Lifeline centers will be available for a panel discussion and Q & A.

Presenter:

Kelsey Scott, Cre Larson, Skyler Manney, Tony Martin, Parker Roth

"St. Michael Critical Incident Debrief" | 9:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Description:

On June 20, 2022, the Wright County Emergency Response Team responded to a call for service that later turned into a contain and call-out search warrant at a residence in the City of St. Michael. Due to the previous history and nature of the call, the ERT called on the assistance of St. Cloud SWAT to execute this search warrant together. This search warrant soon after turned into a barricaded subject. A chemical agent plan was put into action and shortly after, the intended male target started shooting rounds into the air, striking several of the armored vehicles that were staffed with both Wright County and St. Cloud SWAT members. As this incident continued, the male suspect once again fired rounds at Emergency Response Team members. Tactical damage was initiated, which made the integrity of the residence very unsafe. Members of the Wright County Emergency Response team later conducted a slow search on the west side of the residence to locate this male. These members entered this unsafe structure and, in doing so witnessed the suspect male jump up from some hidden debris and run deeper into the residence with a firearm. This suspect was shot by St. Cloud SWAT officers. Members of the Wright County Emergency Response Team arranged a plan and entered the residence to remove the subject. Deputies searched the area where he had been hiding and located over 12,000 rounds of ammunition, 12 firearms including AK-47s, AR-15 style weapons, handguns and shotguns, and body armor.

Presenter:

Lieutenant Josh Hinton -

Josh Hinton has served with the Wright County Sheriff’s Office since July of 2002. Josh Hinton Has been and active Use of Force Instructor since 2005 and a chemical munitions/Flash Bang/ Less Lethal Munitions instructor since 2006. He has also been an active member of the Wright County Emergency Response Team since 2003, and in 2009 he advanced to the role of assistant team leader. In 2019 he took over as tactical commander. Throughout his career, he has worked in the patrol division, the narcotics division, and the criminal investigations division. In 2016 he was promoted to the role of patrol sergeant and was assigned as the traffic coordinator. In March of 2022 he was transferred to the training division as the training coordinator.

Commander Marty Sayre -

Commander Martin (Marty) Sayre has been a police officer for the City of St. Cloud for 27 years and a member of St. Cloud SWAT for 22 years. His career focus has been in special operations, training and tactical logistics to support the overall operations of the agency. He is a retired Major from the U.S. Army/Minnesota Army National Guard and has completed tours in Germany, Bosnia and Iraq in his career with a significant focus on operations, logistics, anti-terrorism and force-protection planning. Sayre is currently assigned as the commander of his agency's Community Engagement Division and as the commander of the St. Cloud Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team. He has instructed police officers on multijurisdictional response techniques to active threat situations, civil disturbance, and tactical officer-involved shootings and has worked with dozens of businesses, schools, and government facilities on improving their threat assessment and response plans. He initiated the Saint Cloud Police Department's Mobile Field Force and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Programs. The City of Saint Cloud has a population of approximately 70,000 citizens and is the regional center of central Minnesota. Saint Cloud SWAT is a regional team supporting several law enforcement jurisdictions in the Saint Cloud area.

"Dealing With Stress & Anxiety, On and Off the Job" | 1:30 p.m.- 4:45 p.m.

Description:

This course addresses the daily stresses and anxieties that first responders face, while also exploring the long-term effects and mental health issues associated with this line of work. The presenter shares personal stories and offers various coping strategies for managing stress and anxiety on both personal and professional levels. Through open and candid discussions with members of the law enforcement community, the presenter helps individuals navigate daily and long-term stressors. This course has been offered throughout the state, benefiting not only first responders but also employees of private companies.

Brian Johnson is the Deputy Director of the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association. Brian began his law enforcement career in 1997 with the Wright County Sheriff’s Office. He served in various roles, including patrol deputy, school resource officer, D.A.R.E. officer, and criminal investigator. In 2003, he was promoted to Sergeant, where he supervised the community policing unit, the boat and water unit, the sheriff's reserve unit, and training programs.

Presenter:

Over the course of 17 years, he was part of the sheriff's emergency response team, spending the last seven years as a team leader. In 2020 Brian was assigned full-time as a training coordinator for the new training center. Brian was later promoted to lieutenant, overseeing professional standards and training.

He is a certified instructor in various areas, including use of force, emergency vehicle operations, Taser, active shooter situations, and firearms. Brian retired from the Wright County Sheriff’s Office in August 2024. In September 2024, he accepted the position of Deputy Director with the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association.