Salisbury Township is officially part of MERT.

MERT is an acronym for Municipal Emergency Response Team, which is operated by Lehigh County.

The Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners voted 4-0, with one commissioner absent at the July 11 township meeting, to approve the executiion of the MERT agreement with Lehigh County.

Per the agreement, Salisbury Township police officers may train and be on call for MERT.

While Salisbury commissioners previously voted to approve participation in MERT, Salisbury Township Manager Randy Soriano and Salisbury Township Solicitor Atty. John W. Ashley had concerns about potential liability on the township's behalf for participating police officers.

"From a legal standpoint, the [MERT] agreement is fine," Soriano said.

MERT is part of the county district attorney office headed by Atty. James B. Martin. Ashley reviewed the township MERT agreement with Martin.

One Salisbury officer has been assigned to MERT, Salisbury Township Police Chief Allen W. Stiles said.

"We have most of the equipment. Lehigh County is paying for other equipment," Stiles said.

After the township officer completes training, he will participate in MERT, Stiles said. A second township officer is available to take the assigned officer's place, Stiles said.

According to the Lehigh County web page, MERT has more than 50 members in the following units: communications, hostage negotiation team, oversight committee members, tactical EMS, tactical dispatchers and tactical team members.

Police officers from county municipalities, including Salisbury, comprise the tactical team and hostage negotiation team.

MERT training began in September 2001 and the team was implemented in April 2002.

According to the website, MERT can be activated when individuals have barricaded themselves in structures and threatened to harm themselves and others, when a suspect is holding someone hostage and when police are serving high-risk search warrants.

In addition, MERT performs other functions, such as providing VIP detail to assist Secret Service during President Barak Obama's visit to the Lehigh Valley in 2009.

The website notes in October and November 2011, MERT members were chosen to participate in federally-sponsored anti-terrorism training in New Mexico.

Twenty special weapons and tactical team operators attended the training course "Prevention and Response to Suicide Bombing Incidents."

The course was funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and was taught by independent contractors who are retired police officers and military personnel who specialized in anti-terrorism prevention and investigation.