Fire Arms Training System
Fire Arms Training Simulator (FATS)
Central Wyoming College is developing a Rural Criminal Justice Training Center with the help of a federal appropriation secured by U.S. Sen. John Barrasso and U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin.
The $705,000 appropriation makes it possible for CWC to develop the training center to provide additional training to law enforcement professionals as well as preparing students to become POST-certified, said CWC Executive Vice President J.D. Rottweiler.
With the college's current Fire Arms Training Simulator (FATS) , the Criminal Justice Training Center can serve as a central location for first responders and law enforcement personnel in the state to obtain advanced continuous training as well as for students who want to begin their criminal justice education.
The center will give future law enforcement personnel and current law enforcement officers an opportunity, through simulation, to experience a wider variety of situations, such as school shootings, terrorist strikes or bank robberies. How the officer responds to those simulations can be assessed as they are recorded, said CWC Rural Health and Public Safety Director Jeff Hosking.
Not only does the system provide training in the use of fire arms, it also enhances judgment in the use of force and the use of less-lethal weapons.
"Physical and mental responses to acute stress has a direct impact on the ability to responds effectively," said Hosking, a former FBI agent, who emphasizes the FATS machine is not at all like a video arcade system.
The simulated situations are customizable and interactive, providing a cost-effective and timely solution for acquiring firearms and weapons training, he explained. The system allows people to practice gun play without mortal consequences by using digital technology and laser-emitting weapons to provide realistic weapons training.
Hosking said the training system is so realistic that the weapons recoil and require reloading. Simulated arms range from archery bows and semiautomatic pistols to anti-armor rocket launchers and cannons. Similar products are used in training military and security personnel, he added.
"In the United States from 1992 to 2001, 643 officers were killed and 597,000 were assaulted," Hosking said. "Every year, law enforcement agencies pay out billions of dollars in civil litigation resulting from officers' alleged improper use of force." He said the FATS system gives officers the ability to practice in stressful situations.
Officers get instant feedback to their reactions, including first shot accuracy and the need for multiple shots. The scenarios allow the users to scan for additional assailants, barricades for cover and the appropriate level of force. Scenarios provide situations for officers to spot weapons and assess attack cues. Hosking said scenarios also include less lethal and non lethal options such as verbal commands, baton, chemical spray and TASER.
Hosking, who teaches criminal justice and homeland security courses at CWC, said many of the scenarios provided by FATS are based on current concerns, such as school violence.
"The use of realistic scenarios, such as active gunmen in schools, provides excellent opportunities for insight into such events," said Riverton Police Department Captain Mark Stone, who also teaches criminal justice courses for CWC. "Traffic stops that turn violent and other dangerous police encounters can be experienced in a controlled environment that allows for evaluation and assessment of officer response."
Stone is very excited about the partnership his department has with CWC because the FATS is a valuable hands-on training tool. The police captain also notes that with CWC's Interactive Classroom Network (ICN) courses can be delivered in real time to other sites in Wyoming. CWC currently has ICNs at several of its outreach centers in Jackson, Dubois, Wind River and Lander. With the federal dollars, the system could be expanded to other locations in the state.
Stone has begun planning a number of specialized law enforcement training schools to be offered at the college.
Hosking said the FATS equipment is portable and is the industry standard.
FATS on student video
Check out the Rustler TV report on the new Training System below, or click here for a higher resolution version of the video.
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