Residents near the old Hollywood Theater in St. Tammany Parish should expect to hear quite a bit of noise this week, but fear not—the explosions and flashes are all part of an intensive training exercise for the local law enforcement and fire department. The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office (STPSO) SWAT team, together with St. Tammany Parish Fire Protection District #2, has taken over the venue, which will soon be demolished, for a unique opportunity to hone their tactical skills in a realistic setting.
According to a social media post from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office, the week-long training will include "explosive breaching, dynamic entries, flashbangs," and the theater will come alive with the sound of tactical movement, the exercises are designed to simulate the intensity of real-world operations, and they'll be using the space to practice structure clearing door breaching, and tactical response before the building meets its "final curtain call next week."
This collaboration has been made possible thanks to Stirling Properties, who owns the theater and has provided the soon-to-be-demolished structure for the training exercises, the STPSO expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to convert the space into their "ultimate playground."
The Sheriff's Office has issued a heads-up to the community, letting them know that if they hear things going "BOOM" near the old Hollywood Theater, they should not be alarmed, these sounds are simply the SWAT team doing their work, as part of their commitment to maintaining a high level of preparedness, which is essential for ensuring public safety.
