VirTra Systems: Judgmental Use-Of-Force & Firearms Simulator

VirTra Systems is one of the leading manufacturers of firearms simulators.  They specialize in both military and law enforcement training, however, this blog will focus on the law enforcement training simulators.

The world can be a very dangerous place. Law enforcement officers are expected to make the correct decision, with excellent marksmanship, in split-second life-and-death situations. The better and more realistic the training, the greater the chance the trainee will succeed when lives hang in the balance and threats are real! Customers throughout the world buy our simulators for realistic training so that trainees have better chances to succeed in their missions and survive lethal encounters.

VirTra Systems simulators are one of the best when it comes to training for judgemental-use-of-force and marksmanship.  The simulators start as (highly portable) single-screen units, such as the VirTra 100 LE.  This unit is small enough that it can be placed into a classroom setting.  It comes with various scenarios that were created by veteran law enforcement officials.  Training is supported for pistols, rifles, shotguns, TASER, OC sprays, and impact devices.  An optional CO2 upgrade can be utilized to simulate the recoil of the weapons, making for a more accurate training experience.

The VirTra 100 LE is able to be upgraded, either at time of purchase or as financial budgets allow, to either the VirTra 180 LE or the VirTra 300 LE.  The VirTra 180 LE consists of three connected screens for the simulation. The highest standard for training is the VirTra 300 LE, which consists of five screens and give the trainees a 300 degree fully immersive surround of the training environment.  Combined with the optional Threat-Fire device (that simulates return fire), this simulator creates a highly realistic and intense training simulation.

There is currently a grant opportunity for VirTra Systems simulators being offered through PoliceOne.com.

To learn more about these simulators you can request information from VirTra Systems and/or check out the following video:

FAAC Inc. Offering Grants for Driving Simulators

FAAC Incorporated is one of the most well-recognized software and systems engineering companies.  The majority of their products are for the US Government.  They include products such as avionics training, weapon guidance, sensors, electronic warfare, training ranges, and threat air defenses (such as surface-to-air missiles).  However, they have more recently begun developing products for the public sector, such as driving simulators.

FAAC Incorporated has driving simulators for all the major aspects of public safety: fire, police, and EMS.  All simulators are comprised of true-to-life controls and components, allowing for full reproduction of curb jumps, road vibration, creating a "real" driving sensation.  With the five high-resolution viewing screens, the driver has an accurate and realistic driving view.  The system also allows for the integration of your MDT (mobile data terminal).

Each simulator comes equipped with multiple driving simulations.  This diminishes the possibility of officers learning the simulations, and forces them to continuously test their skills.  Simulations can be paused and/or replayed by the instructor to correct any issues with the decisions or actions of the driver.  This creates one of the best teaching environments, as any issues are corrected immediately.




To find out how you can assist your department in getting grant assistance to obtain a driving simulator, check out this press release from FAAC Incorporated:

FAAC Incorporated is pleased to announce its participation in a program to link emergency response and public safety departments with grant funding opportunities.


In today’s tough economic environment, dollars are scarce and many city and county budgets are being cut and large capital expenditures are being postponed or eliminated. The amount of grant dollars and stimulus funding – both federal and private – available for police, fire, and EMS, has remained strong, yet many departments are unfamiliar with the grant process and lack the knowledge or resources to successfully apply for grants.


“The assistance program takes the mystery out of matching the correct grant funding source with the specific need of the department,” said Bill Martin, FAAC’s Public Safety Business Manager. “Sometimes the biggest hurdle when purchasing a driver training simulation system is to find that single funding source that will match your need from all the grant information out there – that is why this grant assistance program is so important these public safety departments.”


To assist the effort of matching the needs of the industry with the proper funding avenues, FAAC is underwriting a grant assistance program managed by FireRescue1, PoliceOne, and EMS1 websites to assist those interested in purchasing driver training simulation. This financial initiative is part of the FAAC Customer for Life Philosophy to give back and be a partner in the industry that serves us all so well.


“The grant assistance program is our way to reach out and support the hard-working folks who want to improve their driver training programs,” said Mike McLelland, customer experience manager. “This assistance gives departments who otherwise would not be able to fund a simulator system the ability to get into the running for grant dollars to support safe driving initiatives.


Law enforcement agencies interested in obtaining grant location assistance can visit the website here: http://www.policegrantshelp.com/company-page/FAAC/



Fire departments interested in obtaining grant location assistance can visit the website here: http://www.firegrantshelp.com/company-page/FAAC/


EMS departments interested in obtaining grant location assistance can visit the website here: http://www.emsgrantshelp.com/company-page/FAAC/


Those interested in receiving assistance locating appropriate grant sources simply can go to the websites above and fill out a form that asks for basic information plus how you intend to use the driver training simulator, amount of grant assistance requested, and staffing profile

Fire Dog Services Program

Today I stumbled upon an amazing company that works to help fire departments and their communities.  Fire Dog Services Program donates turnout gear to departments that are in need.

There aren't many departments around who haven't felt the budgetary cutbacks in our current economy.  For some, these cutbacks have been detrimental...leaving departments with gear that is not only outdated but often times non-compliant with current NFPA standards.  For departments dealing with these types of financial difficulties, getting new NFPA compliant gear would be a dream.  However, many of them would more than happily take in any gear that would be safe enough to use in the field.

This is where your department can help!  If your department has recently upgraded (or is looking to upgrade) turnout gear, you can donate your old (or simply unneeded) gear to Fire Dog Services Program.  They accept gear in any condition.  They have a rigorous screening process that separates the gear into serviceable and recyclable categories.  Serviceable gear is donated for day to day fire fighting operations.  Recyclable gear is donated for Junior/Explorer programs and for training purposes.

There is a use for all of your old and unneeded turnout gear!  Fire Dog Services Program receives 34+ requests per month for gear (gear required for departments to adequately service their communities).  Keeping up with that kind of demand is very challenging, as many departments need full gear for five or more members.  Support others in the fire service community, and please consider recycling your old, worn out turnout gear!  There is also a need for helmets, boots, serviceable quality equipment (such as nozzles, even nonworking ones), and promotional gear.  To make a donation contact Fire Dog Services via their website or email.

 To learn more about how this program affects the departments in need, check out their testimonial page!

Philadelphia PD Launches Real-Time Crime Center

The Philadelphia Police Department has recently made a major technological change in their policing.  They are now one of the ten police departments in the United States with a Real-Time Crime Center.  The Real-Time Crime Center is a 24-hour hub of video surveillance, databases and various other resources.

The center has been in the works for nearly four years, and has been in the planning stages for the last two.  As of last month, it is now up and running 24-hours a day.  The center collects surveillance camera data from throughout the city.  Officers in the center can see all of the video as well as are alerted to any 911 calls that are placed.  This gives them the ability to pull up camera images in real-time during the crime (or emergency).  This allows them to give officers in the field immediate pertinent information regarding the suspects' location and description.  

Along with using the city's surveillance system, the Real-Time Crime Center also has access to all of the SEPTA cameras.  Private residents are able to register their cameras as well through a program called SafeCam.  By registering your private surveillance cameras (of your home or business), the Philadelphia Police Department is aware that you may have captured evidence of a crime based on the location of your cameras.  According to the SafeCam website, you will only be contacted by the police department for footage in the event that it is likely you captured evidence.  Private citizens have the right to terminate their registration in this program at any time.

The center is also running automated license plate software.  Utilizing infrared light, the scanners are able to scan upwards of 400,000 plates per week.  Scanners work on vehicles traveling at speeds upwards of 140mph.  In the month that these scanners have been operational, the department has been able to recover 50 vehicles that had been reported stolen.

The center is still not 100% operational.  They are still in the process of developing a major database that will contain information on incidents, criminal complaints, arrest records and photographs, parole and probation databases, national crime databases, and crime mapping systems. Currently, navigating all of those databases can take officers 30 minutes or more.  Once the crime center's combined database is up and running, a thorough search of those databases should take online minutes.

To see how the Real-Time Crime Center works, check out this video from the NYPD.  They were the first city to develop a Real-Time Crime Center, and it made a significant impact on the crime rates in their city.

Vote YES: Smyrna (DE) Police Building Referendum

Smyrna Police Department

On April 30, 2012 residents of Smyrna, DE have the opportunity to vote for an upgrade to the building utilized by the Smyrna Police Department.  This issue has been added to the referendum of the 2012 Smyrna Town Council Election.  Elections will be held from 1pm-8pm at Citizens' Hose Company.  The referendum does not guarantee that a new police department will be built, but it will show the council what the residents of Smyrna would like to happen.

There is a need for a new police department building.  From the most basic perspective, the town of Smyrna has grown significantly in the past several years.  This creates a larger area the officers must patrol, which has increased the number of officers and vehicles required to keep Smyrna safe.  These increases have made the police officers outgrow their own department.  Currently several officers are actually utilizing offices located in the public works building.  Having officers need to travel back and forth between buildings in order to do simple tasks is a hindering on their ability to efficiently do their jobs and aid the citizens of the community.

Furthermore, due to the age of the current police department building, it does not meet the requirements for accreditation.  Accreditation of the police department makes them eligible for federal grant funding.  Although this might not seem important, federal grant funding significantly decreases funding required by the community for the department.  Through various federal agencies funding can be acquired to cover the costs of new police cruisers, technology equipment (such as their recently awarded Panasonic Toughbook), training, and various other items that assist in the policing abilities of the department.

Chief Wil Bordley

Although the department building is covered under a grandfather clause with the Department of Justice, the holding cells in the current building do not meet current day compliance standards.  The minimal amount of holding facilities in the current building do not allow for the appropriate division of men, women, and juveniles.  When there is an influx of suspects, the officers are sometimes forced to use the processing and interview areas as holding cells.

Proposed Police Department

These are all issues that would be fully addressed in the construction of a new police building.  The new proposed 26,900 square foot facility would be on the existing site of the current police department on Glenwood Avenue but would expand to the old Public Works building, which would be demolished. The new facility, if approved, will include a first floor, sally port, renovation of the existing building, and a basement.  The new building would also be prepared to deal with continued increased growth of the town of Smyrna.


The cost of the new police department is estimated to be up to $4.9 million.  However, that estimate is a worst-case scenario, and it is expected to be built for significantly less. In terms of taxes, taxes could go up 4.5 cents per $100 of assessed value.  Although no resident likes to hear that a tax increase will occur, for the majority of homeowners in the town of Smyrna, that increase equates to only $4-$8/month.

The Pitfalls of Social Networking

We've written before about the benefits of Facebook for police departments.  However, private Facebook profiles can have some pretty detrimental consequences for officers (police, fire, and EMS) if they are not careful.

Cases of inappropriate Facebook conduct by officers can be seen throughout Facebook and the news.  One of the most high profile lately is that of (now former) Secret Service Agent David Chaney.  He posted a photo of himself guarding Sarah Palin.  Had it stopped there, there would have been nothing inappropriate about the post.  However, he then proceeded to mention that he was "really checking her out."  Because this photograph was taken of him while he was in the course of performing his duties, it was grossly inappropriate to make a comment like that.  At the time, he probably thought nothing of it and figured it would be humorous to his friends.  However, when combined with the high profile Columbian prostitute scandal, his personal Facebook page has quickly become a national sensation.  It even forced him to resign from the Secret Service.

In 2011, a gang unit officer in Albuquerque, New Mexico got into some hot water for his listed occupation on Facebook.  Again, due to what was probably a lapse in judgement, Officer Trey Economidy listed his profession as "human waste disposal."  Again, no one noticed until something happened.  Officer Economidy was involved in what was ruled to be a clean on duty suspect shooting.  However, reporters found the comment on his Facebook page which forced the department to reprimand him.  He was placed on temporary desk duty and then reassigned to out of the gang unit.

A brief Google search of inappropriate police comments will yield pages of news articles depicting inappropriate pictures, comments, and actions being posted by the officers themselves.  Comments that have nothing to do with work or that are made in a completely joking manner can be completely misread by others, landing the officers in a great deal of trouble.

Mark A. Marshall, chief of police in Smithfield, Va., and the president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, said, "This is something that all the police chiefs around the country, if you’re not dealing with it, you better deal with it."  The content placed on Facebook (or any other social networking website) has the capacity to not just make the officer involved look bad, but it can place a detrimental view on the entire department.

So, how do you protect both yourself and your department?

1. Think about what you are posting online.  Might it offend your mother, wife, coworkers, or chief?
2. Remember that once it is on the internet, there is no getting it back!  It takes only a second for someone to do a screen print and capture an image of your statement or photo.  Even if you realize it was in bad taste and delete it, that screen capture is always there.
3. Keep comments about officer locations to yourself.  This is particularly important when referring to undercover officers and those wounded/killed in action.  Keeping that information private is vital to the safety of the officer and their family.
4. If in doubt, pictures of yourself in uniform (or with your cruiser) with scantily clad women is probably a bad idea.  So is making comments about how a suspect 'deserved it' or anything that makes you sound as though you don't follow proper policing procedures.
5. Have a private Facebook page.  With appropriate Facebook settings, the only people who can view your posts and pictures are your friends.  
6. Most importantly, know that people are watching!  This is particularly true when you find yourself in the middle of an incident... because if there is something to find, people will find it!

Although these ideas might seem silly and insignificant to you, they probably seem like pretty good advice to officers who have lost their jobs, been forced to resign, been reassigned, or had a case thrown out of court because of something they stupidly posted on the internet.

 

A Better Bullet Proof Vest

The concept of body armor has been utilized since the Middle Ages.  These days the majority of police officers wear armor.  Their armor is a second-chance vest, more commonly referred to as a bullet-proof or bullet-resistant vest.

These vests utilize multiple layers of a strong fiber to 'catch' and deform a bullet.  Instead of penetrating the vest, the force of the bullet is spread throughout the fibers which deforms the bullet.  Although the wearer will suffer the trauma of the force of the bullet, it will not penetrate the skin.  Although the fabric of the second-chance vest is not designed to withstand impact of sharp instruments (such as knives), many have the options of adding a metal plate to increase protection of vital areas.

There are various types of vests on the market.  Some are lightweight and easy to maneuver in.  Some, such as those made of Kevlar, are heavier and less wearer-friendly.  Vests also only protect the center of the torso, in an effort to protect vital organs.  Do to the force absorbed by the wearer, damage can still occur from the blunt force (similar to being struck with a bat or pipe dependent on the distance of the shot being absorbed).  However, a new technology not yet on the market is looking to change that.

BAE Systems, a major defense and security company, is currently working on what can best be referred to as a super gel.  The gel is formerly referred to as Shear Thickening Liquid.  The liquid has freely suspended particles that bind together when they are disturbed.  Stewart Pinney, head of business development at BAE, described it as, "Imagine slowly stirring a container of Shear Thickening Liquid: You would feel little resistance initially, and the faster you stir the more the resistance would increase."  In a bullet-resistance mode, the fluid would almost instantaneously lock together when it was hit; both deflecting the bullet and absorbing the impact.

It is speculated that this 'super gel' could actually be used between layers of Kevlar vest.  This would give the benefits of Kevlar and the of the super gel.  Only, this merged technology vest would be up to 45% thinner and lighter than today's conventional vests (and significantly lighter than today's Kevlar vests).  The gel also spreads out the area that the bullet force is absorbed, significantly decreasing the natural inward bend of traditional vests.  This significantly reduces the possibility that the wearer will suffer the trauma associated with being hit in a regular vest.

This new technology in body armor is currently still under research.  Although it is being designed and tested for use by warfighters in the US Military, BAE Systems is fully aware of the usefulness it would have for first responders such as police officers and ambulance crews.