Officer Dale Hackbarth, 46, has been sharing the media spotlight with the rest of his DPD co-workers ever since A&E’s newest documentary series, Dallas SWAT, aired Jan. 5. The show follows some of Dallas’ finest as they extract barricaded suspects, serve warrants and negotiate the release of hostages in volatile and dangerous environments. Hackbarth’s home life is pretty ordinary. He lives in Lakewood with his wife, Martha, and three kids: son Tyler, 14, stepson Eric Godat, 16, and stepdaughter, Rachel Godat, 13. But his job is anything but ordinary, as a recent episode of Dallas SWAT illustrated. The show featured Hackbarth’s squad, the 880s, as they stormed a motel while their negotiator did his best to secure the surrender of a murder suspect.

What do you think about all this media attention? When did you realize the magnitude of a national TV show about Dallas SWAT?

Sign up for our newsletter

* indicates required

It’s been kind of wild. We didn’t think about how big it was until the first show was coming up. They were with us for a year. They were just like one of us. The A&E crew was practically living with us. We didn’t think anything of it, but when the show started approaching and we saw the first ad, we thought, ‘This is big.’ The first ad I saw was on the side of a DART bus. Then I saw a billboard on I-30. Then my mom called me.

What has the reaction been like?

I had friends and family members sending us advertisements from magazines saying, “What is this? Are you a part of this?” Then they see what’s going on and say “whoa.” I don’t share the details with them [my family] and try very hard to keep my work life separate from my home life. So what they see is me hanging out with a bunch of guys, working out and drinking coffee. But they have been watching Dallas SWAT. And that has raised a few questions.

How long have you been with the DPD?

I’ve been with the DPD coming up on 20 years. I saw a DPD advertisement on TV when I was working in a factory in Wisconsin. My brother was already a patrol officer with DPD and was always telling me how much he loved it, but unbeknownst to him after seeing the commercial I took my diplomas and transcripts and got in line like everyone else.

What’s it been like working with your brother?

It’s been an amazing opportunity to be in the same city and with the same employer. My mom was excited that the family was staying somewhat together. I spent the first five years of my career on deep nights from midnight to 8 a.m. in South Dallas while my brother was working the same shift in Oak Cliff. It was the best time of my life.

What drew you to the SWAT team?

I was interested in SWAT because of the ongoing training, teamwork, the intense calls and the camaraderie. I’ve spent 15 years over there, and it’s been great.

The show in which your squad made the hazardous entry to extract the barricaded person was an incredibly dangerous mission. Do you ever get scared?

There are times when you are a little apprehensive — when you say, “This is it.” But that’s when you resort to your training, and you remember that you have the rest of your squad there. But every now and then, you feel the hair on the back of your neck sticking up.