Officer Justin Burch with the Fort Collins Police Services SWAT team prepares for a warrant service call at the City of Fort Collins Police Services Oct. 5, 2022. “For better or worse, I’ve been equipped with the mental fortitude and the physical ability to do these things,” Burch said. “And I would like to be able to do them so that my family doesn't have to deal with this stuff. Because as much as I'd like to say it's all rainbows and unicorns, that isn’t the world that we live in. But if my kids think that it is, I'm okay with that because that means I'm doing my job because they're not having to deal with it.”

Sgt. Gar Haugo attends his son Colt Haugo's championship football game at the Colorado State University Canvas Stadium with his wife Amanda Haugo and daughter Tatum Haugo Oct. 29, 2022. As the only full-time Fort Collins Police Services SWAT team member, Gar Haugo is constantly on call and can be called away at any moment. “You have to learn how to live like that,” Haugo said. “Now, that has a drawback on your family. It has a drawback on you kind of personally because I think you feel like you’re (in) a state of awareness all the time. And some people I think maybe would have more (problems) with that than others and some have just kind of gotten used to that. But you always have to be thinking a little bit about, ‘What am I doing if this happens? Who do I get a call or drop off? Or where are the kids going? What other stuff do I got going on?’”

Sgt. Gar Haugo of the Fort Collins Police Services Special Weapons and Tactics team participates in a training scenario Oct. 19, 2022. SWAT officers train roughly 20-40 hours a month on situations such as hostage rescue, barricaded suspects and high-risk warrants.

Members of the Fort Collins Police Services Special Weapons and Tactics team finish training by getting dinner at Cafe Mexicali Oct. 19, 2022. The team often gets food together after training.

Members of the Fort Collins Police Services Special Weapons and Tactics team prepare for a warrant service call Oct. 5, 2022.

Sgt. Gar Haugo attends church with his wife and two children Nov. 13, 2022. As the only full-time Fort Collins Police Services SWAT team member, Haugo is constantly on call and can be called away at any moment. “You have to learn how to live like that,” Haugo said. “Now, that has a drawback on your family. It has a drawback on you kind of personally because I think you feel like you’re (in) a state of awareness all the time. And some people I think maybe would have more (problems) with that than others, and some have just kind of gotten used to that. But you always have to be thinking a little bit about, ‘What am I doing if this happens? Who do I get a call or drop off? Or where are the kids going? What other stuff do I got going on?’”