Cobb County Motorcade Cobb County, GA
T
he Cobb Police Motor Squad of Kennesaw, GA escorts many vehicles containing dig- nitaries and even the President of the United States. Knowing road hazards, abandoned autos, intersections, ramps, bridges, protestors, the route itself, com- munication failures, and what is expected of us in case of an emergency is required. The Cobb Police Motor Squad is called
upon to provide a column of motors for the motorcade and is proud to ride Harley-Davidson®
motorcycles. Dignitary
escorts don’t begin with the polishing of boots and fi ring up of the engines; a good escort begins with advanced training, as much planning as you can pack into the short notice these type of events give, and interagency cooperation. Motor Offi cers are a confi dent bunch, earning this confi dence
by knowing the answers ahead of time. What is expected of Motor Offi cers during motorcades is no exception. Train how you’ll ride and ride how you train is the key to smooth operations. Previously we used hand signals to communicate how many
SUBMITTED BY LT. HAWK HAGEBAK
the Motor Offi cer in Command about any issues that need immediate change. The fi rst Motor Offi cers behind the Command Unit are the
Road Guard Right and Road Guard Left. These two riders are “next up” to be given assignments. The fi rst four Motor Offi cers behind the Command Unit are the Power Guard. If a particularly large intersection or threat needs to be covered, the Command Unit will send the Power Guard. These four Motor Offi cers become their own “mini column” with the front left rider being in command of the unit as they pull ahead to handle their assignment. The last two in the motorcade are the Rear Guard. They are not used while the motorcade is in motion, but when departing, the Rear Guard may be sent out to ensure that the motorcade can safely enter the roadway. After the entire motorcade element is safely past the positions, Motor Offi cers should pass the motorcade on the LEFT and enter the motorcade as rear guards, simply adding to the motorcade. Passing a motorcade on the RIGHT is not preferred. If you’ve ever heard the Blue Angels during a performance, their commanders use a certain tempo to the orders given
and to where Motor Offi cers would be sent from the column of Motor Offi cers riding in front of the motorcade. This had been the best option, but with the advent of better communications equipment and more frequencies to choose from, hand signals were abandoned for less ambiguous radio calls. There are many components that make up what others see
simply as a “line of police bikes.” The diagram shows a column consisting of 18 Motor Offi cers. The fi rst two are the Com- mand Unit and the Motor Offi cer in Command of the element rides on the front left, setting the speed and direction while communicating only with the Motor Offi cers in the column. The front right rider is part of the Command Unit as well,
communicating with the other parts of the motorcade (the cars, limos and pre-staged vehicles) and simply speaking to
34 THE MOTOR OFFICER™ | SPRING 2013
and give those orders in predictable vernacular to reduce ambiguity and make the operation smooth and safe. Each command has a preparatory call followed by an execution call. Motorcade communication should be conducted in the same way for the same reasons. The only time a Motor Offi cer should cross from one side of the column to the other is when returning to the column or during a Power Guard departure. When returning to the column, Motor Offi cers should join at the back of the column, fi lling the RIGHT side fi rst. Then, fi ll the left “empty space” in the left rear slot of the column. If the last Motor Offi cer in the column is riding without a partner to his/her right, he/she should “slide over” to the right side of the column so the returning Motor Offi cer has the left rear slot to rejoin. If the column gets unbalanced, say
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