For more information, contact Randy Smith, (cell) 620-792-9564.

December 18, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Story by: Linda Jerke

Wanted:

Barton Community College’s criminal justice instructor Randy Smith sees a training opportunity not only for the College’s criminal justice students, but also for law enforcement personnel in this area.

A Shoot-Don’t-Shoot simulator provides life-like scenarios for training both students and law enforcement personnel in such practices as patrol procedures, criminal investigation, police firearms and police defense tactics, Smith said. It can be used for tactical and practical training to enhance the ability of area law enforcement, EMS and fire department personnel to properly respond to threats or emergencies.

To make this opportunity a reality, Smith needs the funds to purchase the simulator. He has his sights set on the LE Pro by Laser Shot with Branching Video Player and Branching Video Editor.

This simulator would allow Barton’s Criminal Justice Program to provide the most up-to-date training to all emergency first-responders within the College’s seven-county service area in addition to its students. With the price of such a system set at $37,000, the Barton Community College Foundation is accepting donations and encouraging many of the law enforcement agencies in the service area to pool their money to help fund the project.

Cooperation between the College’s Criminal Justice Program and area law enforcement is already in place. Smith, who has spent 41 years in law enforcement and is now an educator, still maintains a position in the Barton County Sheriff’s Office Reserves to keep up-to-date on training and the training needs of students and those in the field.

The link between the college’s program and local law enforcement has grown into a partnership in which Barton students can have the real-life experience of riding along with Sheriff’s Office personnel to witness procedures firsthand. Barton students also participated with area law enforcement in the College’s recent lockdown drill with the scenario of a would-be shooter on campus.

The Shoot-Don’t-Shoot simulator would add another dimension to the learning process for Barton students, and for law enforcement in training programs such as the College’s Lee Turner Lectureship. In recent months, county law enforcement personnel have faced two standoffs, a shooting incident and a meth lab fire. Each of those situations warrants the kind of training the simulator would provide, Smith said.

The video part of the simulator allows scenarios to unfold, or branch, in ways determined by the trainees’ reactions, skill level and observation skills. The system comes with a CD application that “decodes” a video scenario format, allowing a series of scenes to produce a training session. The scenarios include training in traffic stops, school shootings, jail violence, courtroom violence and investigative scenarios.

The video editor gives instructors the flexibility to create and edit branching and non-branching videos. Not only can instructors create new scenarios, but the company that produces this simulator can customize video scenarios to fit the needs of the different emergency responders within their service areas.

This type of simulator is being used by all law enforcement academies and U.S. military across the United States, Smith said. The training has saved lives not only of law enforcement and military personnel, but also the citizens they serve, he added.

Anyone who would like to donate or become involved in the project for Barton’s purchase of the Shoot-Don’t-Shoot simulator may contact Director of Institutional Advancement Darnell Holopirek, 620-792-9367. For more information about the simulator, contact Smith, 620-792-9564.

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