Field Training Officer

The field training program for an agency is one of the most important training programs an agency maintains. The lack of a training program, a substandard program or a poorly run program can cost an agency millions of dollars in civil suits, loss of good personnel and the loss of a previously untarnished reputation. A well-trained FTO force in conjunction with a well-run program will help protect an agency from civil suits originating from within and without the agency.

The program model presented by APTAC follows the program model originated by the San Jose Police Department in 1972 and has become the national standard. The program has been court tested and is ADA and EEOC defensible.

Topics include:

• Philosophy of field training programs
• The field training schedule
• The role of the field training officer
• Communications
• Dynamics of adult learning
• Presentation techniques
• Changing behavior
• The rating scale
• The daily observation report
• The training process
• Legal defensibility of the FTO program
• Liability & training
• Termination of trainees