Field Training Officer

This forty-hour course is for law enforcement officers tasked with providing field training to law enforcement recruits who have completed BLET or equivalent training.  It will focus on understanding the various roles that an FTO must fulfill and the basic requirements of their position.

Prerequisites:
The trainee must be a SWORN law enforcement officer who has arrest powers. This course is not appropriate for non-sworn detention officers.  NCJA offers a separate FTO Course for detention officers.    This course may not be appropriate for officers from agencies that use the Police Training Officer (PTO) Model or a similar model that does not use a rating scale for assessing recruit's daily performance.

Course Goals:
To provide the knowledge and skills needed to perform the role of Field Training Officer effectively.

Course Objectives:
Upon completing this course, the student will be able to:
-  Explain the history and significant components of the San Jose Field Training Officer Model and the Police Training Officer Model programs.
- Identify techniques to improve the FTO’s interpersonal communication and report writing skills, use of leadership styles, ethical standards, and actions that avoid civil liability while training.
- Describe the roles and responsibilities of the field training officer, including the techniques for teaching adults, and engaging students with problem-based scenarios.  
- Observe, evaluate and document a trainee’s field performance while providing constructive feedback to improve trainee performance.
- Identify and apply effective remedial training strategies to improve trainee performance.
- Identify situations that contribute to felony assaults and accidental deaths suffered by law enforcement officers.

Methodologies:
This course is instructor led, and encompasses classroom lecture, discussion, reading assignments, PowerPoint presentations, group exercises, quizzes, and a final examination.

To complete this course, a student must attend and participate in all classroom lectures, discussions and class activities. A student must achieve a minimum average score of 70% on three quizzes, and 75% on a final examination.