Course Summary
The field training officer (FTO) is one of most critical members of any law enforcement agency. Experienced FTOs should be able to take recruits fresh from the academy and transform them into hard-working, responsible, and valuable members of any agency.
The duties of the FTO are to provide instruction, counseling, and supervision to the recruit. FTOs will initiate the recruit/officer evaluations, and they will set an example of correct law enforcement service. An FTO is a mentor, a guide, and a role model.
This course will aid the FTO in proper documentation and evaluations of the recruit. It will discuss the merits of a good FTO and inform existing FTOs on the many learning processes that humans use in work and life.
This course will also discuss the goals and purposes used in the development of an FTO program. Such a program needs to provide a structured, standardized learning experience in preparation for the recruit’s solo patrol. It will apply classroom training in real problems and situations seen during an officer’s patrol activities. And, equally important, it will provide documented evaluations of the recruit’s performance.
The course covers the following topics in detail:
- Field training guide
- Evaluation processes
- Object of evaluations
- FTO/recruit roles and relationships
- FTO as teacher/trainer
- FTO as evaluator
- Communication and listening
- Ethics and integrity
- Ways FTOs fail in their mission
- FTO burnout
- The recruit’s needs
Course Syllabus
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Module 1 - Field Training Officer Re-Certification Training
- Introduction
- What is a Field Training Officer?
- Responsibilities of an FTO
- Avoiding FTO Related Liability
- Avoiding Liability Continued
- Adult Learning
- Evaluations
- FTO as a Training Program
- FTO Program Principals
- A Breakdown of the FTO Manual
- Module Assessment