The Sheriff's Office helicopters are a very valuable lifesaving asset. They are used in search and rescue both over the land and the water. They have been instrumental in locating lost children, Alzheimer patients and overdue boaters, just to mention a few examples. The helicopters are also important in the war on drugs for surveillance and in the marijuana eradication effort. The number of marijuana plants located in the county has dropped from approximately 1,800 plants a year to about 200 plants. In many cases, those persons growing the marijuana have moved to locations where aircraft cannot intervene. The helicopters are also used for community service in areas such as the Red Ribbon Week where they are a big hit with the children learning about the pitfalls of drugs.

The aviation unit works closely with the Swat Team, Dive Team, K-9 Unit, Patrol,SID and CID in the accomplishment of their missions. The aviation unit is also sent to other counties for mutual aid when they can be used to save a life, help prevent a major crime, or capture a dangerous criminal. The unit has also been used by the U.S. Air Force for search and rescue and accident investigation. They also work closely with FDLE, DEA and Customs.

Training ranges from perfecting line and compass searches to the use of specialized equipment, such as sonar, dry suits and full-face diving systems. The team is also trained in helicasting, where divers in swim gear are deployed from a helicopter. Frequently, the divers train along side divers at the Navy Diving and Salvage Training Center on Panama City Beach. Each member of the Dive Team is S.C.U.B.A. certified and holds training certificates throughout the civilian dive standard. Members have also attended the FSU UCSI school and train yearly.

The Bay County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit is a group of deputies specially trained in handling dogs for locating criminal suspects, narcotics, explosives or missing people. The K-9 Unit currently consists of four deputies and five dogs, including two German Shepherds, one Blood Hound, one Belgian Malinois and a Black Labrador.

Each K-9 deputy is required to have a minimum of 400 hours training in the handling of these special animals. In addition, ongoing training is conducted in narcotics, explosives and search and rescue. The dogs live with their handlers, and this helps form a closer working relationship, enabling the deputies to be familiar with every aspect of the dogs’ behavior. The dogs ride along with the deputies in their normal patrol zone, and they may be requested to assist deputies as well as other agencies when K-9 support is requested 

SMELL - This is a dog’s primary sense, and it is much stronger than a human’s. Where humans have 5-10 million olfactory cells, a K-9 has 220 million!

SIGHT - K-9’s see much better at night than humans, giving them a greater ability to sense movement. Their color vision is limited

SPEED - A working K-9 can run up to 30 mph

AGILITY - K-9’s can jump very high and get into places humans cannot safely enter.

Each year thousands of locals and tourists visit the beautiful beaches and waters of the Emerald Coast. This is one of the reasons the Bay County Sheriff's Office has law enforcement service on the waterways. Utilizing a 27' Boston Whaler patrol vessel, deputies patrol the heavy boating areas of the county and are prepared to render assistance or enforcement wherever it is needed. 

The Gulf of Mexico and Bay County waterways are especially active area's for vacationers, residents, and fishermen alike. 

With commercial and recreational vessels, the waters of Bay County can be extremely busy at times, we want everyone
to have fun, but also remember to be safe and responsible. It is your duty as a boater to know and observe the boating rules and practices to prevent collisions, injuries, and death.

The Bay County Sheriff's Office has at its disposal an elite nineteen-men SWAT Unit commanded by Major David Baldwin. This team was first formed in 1981 to respond to dangerous high-risk incidents that required tactical operation skills more advanced than a police officer receives in basic training. This advanced training includes everything from sniper/counter-sniper operations to helicopter insertion techniques. The Swat Team trains continuously, at least one full day every 28 days. This does not include the advanced training schools the officers attend between regular training days. To keep their skills well-honed, the team routinely trains with other agencies as well as the U.S. Military.

The Bay County Sheriff's Office Swat Team has a record of dedication and professionalism. This is reflected by the teams requested use by other law enforcement agencies, including United States Customs, United States Marshals, Federal Drug Enforcement Agency and other local agencies in and outside of Bay County. The Bay County Sheriff's Office Swat Team routinely assists smaller agencies that do not have the manpower or resources to have a tactical operations team of their own. This dedication is utilized throughout the Panhandle as the team is a member of the RDSTF Region One SWAT Response. To become a Swat Team member, the officer has to have a minimum of three years law enforcement experience at the Bay County Sheriff's Office. The officer must be a volunteer.

No one is forced or required to perform in the hazardous job assignment. The officer must be in excellent physical and mental condition. The officer is required to pass a psychological exam prior to being picked as a team member. Swat Team Officers are required to pass a battery of physical fitness tests each month. As an example, an officer that is 29 years old is required to run 1.5 miles in 11 minutes and 41 seconds or less. Once a team member is picked, it takes an average of two years before the new member is trained to minimum level requirements. Needless to say, being a part of the team requires a great deal of dedication, discipline, motivation, and personal sacrifice. Team members are required to be on-call and tied to a pager 24 hrs. a day, able to respond to a critical incident in full gear in less than 30 minutes. The majority of the Swat Teams calls-for-service involves the execution of warrants. These include both arrest and search warrants where there are firearms involved or the potential for extreme violence exists. The team also responds to barricaded gunmen as well as hostage situations. 

Of the nineteen team members, several are certified instructors in various subjects from defensive tactics to firearms and Chemical agents. Each team member must be qualified in multiple weapons, from submachine guns to assault rifles. One team member is also an emergency medical technician. The team members provide training to other officers within the Bay County Sheriff's Office as well as to other agencies. Sheriff Ford believes the key to the teams success is training and dedication.