To Protect and Serve...Drive to Survive!

To Protect and Serve...Drive to Survive!
Train as if your life depended on it! It does!

Monday, August 2, 2010

POST LD19 Pilot Program Workshop

During the week of July 26-29, I attended meetings and a workshop in Sacramento with the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST).  The purpose of this meeting was to participate in the first development workshop for a pilot program to revise Vehicle Operations Training in the Regular Basic Course (Learning Domain 19). This workshop included members of the Pilot Program, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in the field of Vehicle Operations, Law Enforcement Driving Simulators (LEDS) and Directors, Coordinators, and SMEs representing Academy Programs from around the state. 

At its October 2008 meeting, the POST Commission received the Driver Training Study, Volume I and approved implementation of the recommendations in the report. One of the recommendations included  enhancing driver training curriculum in the academy. The Commission directed the implementation of an academy-based Pilot Program which would incorporate four components into LD 19:  Law Enforcement Driving Simulators, a speed component, night driving and the use of interference vehicles.

The San Diego Regional Public Safety Training Institute was selected as one of seven Pilot Program training sites in California.  Earlier this year, members of POST's SAFE Driving Campaign/VOTAC had visited and surveyed our EVOC basic academy driver training program and observed we were delivering training that closely modeled what they were trying to develop statewide.  They asked us to join in the Pilot Program along with six other locations: the Alameda County Sheriff's Department, Butte College, California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles Police Department, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department and the South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Consortium. 

Throughout the week we met to review current curricula and develop strategies to implement the LD 19 Pilot Program.  With such a wide variety of EVOC training sites throughout the state, it was a challenge to develop strategies that would enable most, if not all EVOC sites the ability to deliver a higher level of driver training without compromising safety for our students and instructors.  We were able to gain consensus on most topics and Training and Testing Specifications (TTS) Learning Needs and Objectives were modified to incorporate approved changes for Pilot Program participants.  We still have more work in progress and another workshop is scheduled for October.

For our EVOC Program, this pilot will require us to conduct additonal training with our EVOC instructors to bring them up to speed with the new TTS and evaluation guidelines.  For the students, it will offer a higher level of training designed to save their lives out on the street.  As we continue to develop this statewide Pilot Program, we'll keep you informed of changes coming our way.

No comments:

Post a Comment