Government Technology - August 2008 - (Page 46)

justice S TAT E | L O C A L | F E D E R A L Synopsis: Police in Ulster County, N.Y., use a high-tech firearms simulator to train officers and educate the public. j j Agency: Kingston Police Department, N.Y. Technology: Meggitt Defense Systems. Contact: Egidio Tinti, lieutenant, Kingston Police Department, etinti@ ci.kingston.ny.us. BY J I M M C K AY | J U S T I C E A N D P U B L I C S A F E T Y E D I T O R Paintball to Video Ulster County, N.Y police officers are armed with firearms training simulator. ., F AUG_08 or police officers in Ulster County, N.Y., training on a firearms training simulator (FATS) is a major step up from pelting one another with paintballs and wax balls. To an observer, FATS might look like a giant video game. A trainee shoots a realistic-looking gun at a 15-foot by 8-foot screen, which projects a re-enactment of a potentially hazardous scenario, such as a knife-wielding man. FATS isn’t only a great tool to teach cops how to handle a crisis situation; it’s also a good way to educate the public about the split-second decisions required of law enforcement. Ulster County police use the newly purchased simulator to teach cops and citizens the landmines involved in police work. Realistic Weaponry When training on the simulator, an officer packs a real Glock 17 pistol converted to fire carbon dioxide cartridges. The gun kicks as if it were shooting real bullets. The officer is given 10 feet of floor space to seek cover, move into firing position or cover a target on the large screen. A video scenario — one of hundreds an officer might face on patrol — is projected on the FATS screen. All the scenarios were adapted from real-life situations reported by U.S. law enforcement and then re-enacted on video by actors. A man brandishing a knife, a husband and wife arguing or a routine traffic stop play out on the screen as the officer handles each situation — any or all of them could turn into a crisis situation for the cop. “You can have a scenario where the officer pulls over a driver and the instructor can choose between different scenarios, like whether he’s going to be a threat target or not a threat target,” said Lt. Egidio Tinti of the Kingston Police Department in Ulster County. “You can have the officer repeat the same scenario, but with a different ending.” Ulster Community College acquired the training simulator in fall 2007 from Meggitt Defense Systems for $67,000, via a grant obtained by state Sen. John Bonacic, R-Mount Hope. FATS is used by an emergency services team, a county special weapons and tactics team, two police academies, the newly founded citizens’ police academy and the Ulster Community College Department of Justice. “It gives you exposure without risking your life,” said James Truitt, assistant professor and 46 http://www.govtech.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - August 2008

Government Technology - August 2008 Contents Point of View The Last Mile Big Picture On the Scene Four Questions for... Net Gains A Government Technology® Industry Profile: CA CA Contents IT Network Management: State and Local Governments Face New Challenges MyFloridaNet Arkansas Department of Information Systems Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Government Tightens Its Belt Rocking the Vote High-Speed Portal Project On Track Wi-Fi on a Shoestring From Paintball to Video Virtually Vulnerable How It Works Products signal:noise

Government Technology - August 2008

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