Marion County is making changes after a recent rash of injuries to corrections officers at the county jail.

They are the tactics guards at jails have used for decades — elbow drops, and in the cases of riots requiring special gear, shield strikes — but those tactics have also led to injuries to jail guards.

Four Marion County corrections officers have been hurt in the last two years, one severely.

"The CERT teams we had in place previously, they have to go hands-on as they approach a pod," said Marion County Sheriff Chris Blair.

So, the sheriff decided to create Florida's first Level 1 Special Operations Group, trained to respond to any kind of jail disturbance with minimum manpower and maximum technology.

We got an up-close look at their final day of rigorous training Wednesday.

"Approximately 75 percent of applicants who enter the program will not make it through," said senior trainer, U.S. Corrections Capt. Joseph Garcia.

Some of the less lethal force being used by the special operations teams includes rubber super stars, which replace bullets in a 12-gauge Kel-Tec shotgun officers can use to bring down an unruly inmate quickly.

The special ops team also has a secret weapon on their side that would be tough to hide; Max, a giant schnauzer, is the nation's first special operations corrections K-9 police dog.

Marion County plans to graduate nine officers from the program Thursday. It's one of just 17 jails in the nation where you'll see technology like this, but Blair said the investment is well worth it for the safety of his officers, and potential millions they could save from lawsuits from inmates.

Though the team will be housed at the Marion County Jail, interlocal agreements allow them to respond to hostage or riot situations across Florida.