Emergency Operation Course Helps Police Hone Driving Skills
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
For the past two weeks, Kosciusko County Sheriff's Deputy Jon Tyler and Warsaw Police Officer Doug Light have spent a lot of time planning.
The pair teamed up to design the Emergency Vehicle Operation Course set up at Warsaw Municipal Airport this weekend to help officers from throughout the county brush up on their driving skills. Officers began driving the course Friday afternoon and will continue training today and Sunday.
Tyler and Light drew the course on paper, then once they were satisfied with the plan, they set it up at the airport and tested it themselves.
"We had a number of specific individual tasks," said Tyler. "Once we decided which ones we wanted, it was a matter of finding a good layout."
Last September, officers in Kosciusko County participated in an EVOC training session provided by Governmental Insurance Exchange, which is the liability insurance carrier for Kosciusko County. GIE works with Bliss McKnight Risk Management Specialists to set up EVOC courses.
This course being used this weekend was designed, set up and run by Tyler and Light, who are certified EVOC instructors. Light is the EVOC instructor for the Warsaw Police Department, while Tyler is the EVOC instructor for the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department.
"Taking courses like this help us be much better drivers in a crash situation," said Tyler. "Guys do something here, then they will understand what to do in an emergency situation."
The course last fall was set up with four obstacles that were designed for speeds below 30 mph.
The course officers are driving this weekend is much longer and designed to be driven at higher speeds.
Tyler and Light incorporated 12 obstacles in the longer, faster course to help officers brush up on their emergency driving skills.
"Adding multiple tasks to the course helps everyone focus ahead," said Tyler. "This course is designed to help guys look farther than the front of the car. It encourages heads up driving."
Driving the course also helps officers refresh themselves on types of driving they might not normally encounter.
"It is rare for (many county officers) to practice curves at high speeds," said Tyler. "This is not an opportunity they will get very often."
Each officer driving the course rides with either Light or Tyler to see how the course is set up. Then the instructor takes his place in the passenger seat and tells the driver how to proceed through the course for a run through.
Then comes the "hot lap," which is evaluated and timed by Light or Tyler.
Obstacles in the course include a controlled weave, backing weave, lane changes, evasive maneuvers, braking with a 90-degree turn and parallel parking.
The instructors evaluate the driver's performance in each obstacle, looking for proper hand positioning on the steering wheel, use of brakes and controlled acceleration, among other things. Drivers also are checked for reaction times and their vehicle control skills.
Officers from the Warsaw Police Department will drive the course beginning April 23. Because of the number of officers in the city and county, the class was scheduled for two weekends.
"We do the training twice a year, in the spring and the fall," said Light. "Those are mandatory, but we are also hoping to do one in the summer, maybe June or July."
The Warsaw Municipal Airport allows the use of the runway for the training.
"Without the airport's cooperation, we would have no place to do this," said Tyler. "Mr. (Dave) Beall deserves kudos for letting us do this." [[In-content Ad]]
For the past two weeks, Kosciusko County Sheriff's Deputy Jon Tyler and Warsaw Police Officer Doug Light have spent a lot of time planning.
The pair teamed up to design the Emergency Vehicle Operation Course set up at Warsaw Municipal Airport this weekend to help officers from throughout the county brush up on their driving skills. Officers began driving the course Friday afternoon and will continue training today and Sunday.
Tyler and Light drew the course on paper, then once they were satisfied with the plan, they set it up at the airport and tested it themselves.
"We had a number of specific individual tasks," said Tyler. "Once we decided which ones we wanted, it was a matter of finding a good layout."
Last September, officers in Kosciusko County participated in an EVOC training session provided by Governmental Insurance Exchange, which is the liability insurance carrier for Kosciusko County. GIE works with Bliss McKnight Risk Management Specialists to set up EVOC courses.
This course being used this weekend was designed, set up and run by Tyler and Light, who are certified EVOC instructors. Light is the EVOC instructor for the Warsaw Police Department, while Tyler is the EVOC instructor for the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department.
"Taking courses like this help us be much better drivers in a crash situation," said Tyler. "Guys do something here, then they will understand what to do in an emergency situation."
The course last fall was set up with four obstacles that were designed for speeds below 30 mph.
The course officers are driving this weekend is much longer and designed to be driven at higher speeds.
Tyler and Light incorporated 12 obstacles in the longer, faster course to help officers brush up on their emergency driving skills.
"Adding multiple tasks to the course helps everyone focus ahead," said Tyler. "This course is designed to help guys look farther than the front of the car. It encourages heads up driving."
Driving the course also helps officers refresh themselves on types of driving they might not normally encounter.
"It is rare for (many county officers) to practice curves at high speeds," said Tyler. "This is not an opportunity they will get very often."
Each officer driving the course rides with either Light or Tyler to see how the course is set up. Then the instructor takes his place in the passenger seat and tells the driver how to proceed through the course for a run through.
Then comes the "hot lap," which is evaluated and timed by Light or Tyler.
Obstacles in the course include a controlled weave, backing weave, lane changes, evasive maneuvers, braking with a 90-degree turn and parallel parking.
The instructors evaluate the driver's performance in each obstacle, looking for proper hand positioning on the steering wheel, use of brakes and controlled acceleration, among other things. Drivers also are checked for reaction times and their vehicle control skills.
Officers from the Warsaw Police Department will drive the course beginning April 23. Because of the number of officers in the city and county, the class was scheduled for two weekends.
"We do the training twice a year, in the spring and the fall," said Light. "Those are mandatory, but we are also hoping to do one in the summer, maybe June or July."
The Warsaw Municipal Airport allows the use of the runway for the training.
"Without the airport's cooperation, we would have no place to do this," said Tyler. "Mr. (Dave) Beall deserves kudos for letting us do this." [[In-content Ad]]