The International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) is an international organization of training managers and executives dedicated to the improvement of public safety personnel. IADLEST serves as the national forum of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) agencies, boards, and commissions as well as statewide training academies throughout the United States.
BELOW 100 CHALLENGE
By: Bill Muldoon, IADLEST President
One training session that really struck a chord with me in Savannah was the Below 100 initiative as presented by FLETC’s John Bostain.
As implied in its title, the Below 100 initiative is an effort to reduce in-the-line-of-duty deaths to pre-1944 numbers, the last time that in-the-line- of-duty deaths was below 100.
While all in-the-line-of-duty deaths are tragic in both agency and personal loss, an effort should
be expended in preventing all in-the-line-of-duty deaths. A study of these tragedies reveals that a number were attributed to entirely foreseeable events that each of us knows. The Below 100 is
based on the mantra, “Predictable is preventable.” Effort in these key areas could make Below 100 a reality:
1. Wear your seatbelt
2. Wear your vest
3. Watch your speed
4. WIN-What’s Important now?
5. Remember: Complacency kills
Do you know that the leading cause of in-the- line-of-duty deaths between 1999-2010 is traffic collisions? And of those, the leading causes were speed, lack of seatbelt use, or being struck by another vehicle?
While the solution seems simple, it is not that easy. Some of us know of training that seems to contradict other training or know officers who are not safe in their protective equipment use or their driving—or both.
I challenge all police academy and POST directors to audit their curriculums and trainers for inconsistencies in any teaching that contradicts the above tenants. Do you know what your instructors are teaching regarding mandatory seatbelt use while in emergency vehicle operations training? Many of us have only to look out the window during driver’s training to see if seatbelts are being worn; but have you gone the extra step to ensure that firearms, defensive tactics, and other subject matter instructors are not contradicting that valuable EVO training requirement of wearing the seatbelt? Are erroneous myths being challenged wherever they may be found? What happens in FTO?
The first step may be admitting that we have a problem. The second step is taking action and holding our people accountable. With a bit of effort, I believe that Below 100 is attainable.
More information can be found at www.below100.com
My special thanks to FLETC and instructor John Bostain for bringing this training to our IADLEST conference and for all their efforts at making our profession safe.
Learn more at: Below 100
Tuitition-FREE online training program on police pursuit. In this one-hour lesson your will achieve the following objectives:
Discuss US Supreme Court decisions and State-specific statutes that have impacted and governed vehicular pursuit operations
Discuss the components of the IACP vehicular pursuit policy guide
Compare your agency’s current pursuit policy with the IACP pursuit guidelines
Develop an action plan for your agency that supports vehicular pursuit operations and addresses any weak or missing areas within the current pursuit policy
Online Pursuit Policy Workshop
The IADLEST Training Template can to be used to submit vendor-designed courses for law enforcement training to the states. Use the Template to document your course. Now available for download.
The IADLEST Reciprocity Handbook is an invaluable resource for academy directors, personnel managers, counselors and students, as well as experienced police officers considering new employment in another state. Now Available.