FIREARMS SIMULATOR SAFETY!AN UPDATE TO KENTUCKY LAW ENFORCEMENT

ON FIREARMS TRAINING SAFETYBy Mark Filburn and Troy Pitcock, KLC Insurance Services Loss

Control Law Enforcement Specialists

Never have police officers been under more scrutiny by thepublic and media.

To help address this reality, the Kentucky League of CitiesInsurance Services (KLCIS) Loss Control Law Enforcementprogram offers intensive firearms simulator training to lawenforcement officers across Kentucky. While the objective isto enhance safety and decision making skills in real lifesituations, participants must also be vigilant with safetyprotocols during training.

The KLCIS program has been providing firearms simulatortraining to our participating police departments for more than15 years. The virtual simulator provides realistic scenarios towhich officers practice responses. We (KLCIS) believe partof our success in minimizing risk exposure and loweringofficer injuries is due in large part to this program.

The program continues to develop and is grounded in aholistic approach to training. It utilizes Ti Training, anindustry leader in firearms simulator training.

The program provides avariety of training scenarios.Ten new, timely scenariosare added annually in orderto target specific trainingobjectives, which are basedon actual responses toresistance situations. Thescenarios are embeddedwith videos, policy and legaltalking points to ensureofficers make ethicaldecisions when using force.The training uses all the

responses to resistance options and involves de-escalationusing voice commands as well as the use of force to include -OC, Taser, baton, pistol, shotgun and rifle.

KLCIS partners with 45 host law enforcement sites acrossthe state that agree to train agencies in their geographical area.The host sites are required to send an instructor to a yearlyinstructor’s course provided by KLCIS. Ti Training assists inthe annual training and provides expert trainers in variousspecialty areas.

The instructor course is taught by our state’s leading use offorce expert, Major Alex Payne of the Jeffersontown PoliceDepartment (retired KSP). In addition, Lieutenant RodneySherrod of the Lexington Police Department, assists with theclass and is the founding member of the Kentucky TacticalOfficers Association, which was created to improve the tacticsand training of SWAT teams across the state.

Training instructors are provided manuals, given talkingpoints for all the scenarios, and briefed on safety protocolsand operations of the systems.

Safety First – On the Street and In the Classroom!

It is important to constantly reinforce safety at all levels oftraining, whether it be during instructor training or trainingwith officers and agencies. Safety is the responsibility ofinstructors and participants.

In 2015, a simulator in Kentucky not owned by KLCIS andan instructor not insured or trained by our program had an

June 2015

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FIREARMS SIMULATOR SAFETY! AN UPDATE TO KENTUCKY LAW ENFORCEMENT ON FIREARMS TRAINING SAFETY

accidental shooting. The instructor had secured his weaponin the morning session. However, as with most trainingaccidents, he failed to secure the weapon when he returnedfrom lunch. When the instructor pulled his pistol thinking itwas a training weapon, he fired at the screen.

The bullet went through the screen, through a wall, into anunoccupied classroom and into an office before striking a wallapproximately three feet from a secretary siting at her desk.Ironically, the bullet hole was just above a “Think Safety” sign.Ten minutes before the accidental discharge, a pregnantcoworker had been standing in the direct path that the bullettraveled.

This accidental shooting resulted in KLCIS conducting areview of all safety protocols.

The first step was a review of all simulator trainingaccidental discharges and the reason for the incidents. We

reviewed incidents that occurred during KLCIS training,private simulator manufacturers, federal, police, sheriffs andindependent contractors that provide simulators.

There have been other incidents involving accidents.

Incident #1

Officers secured their weapons in a locked gun cabinet. Thetraining area was in the underground of a governmentbuilding. The gun cabinet was located just inside the door.

The officer entered the room, secured his weapon andcompleted the training with the training officer. Aftercompleting the training, the officer retrieved his weapon fromthe gun cabinet. He did not leave the room. He returned tothe training area intending to talk to the instructor until thenext scheduled officer arrived.

When the next scheduled officer never arrived, the trainerallowed the officer to run through additional scenariosforgetting that he had retrieved his service weapon andreturned to the system.

One shot was fired through the screen. Fortunately, thescreen was placed in front of a cinder block wall.

Incident #2

The second incident occurred as two trainers werediscussing the instructional points of the scenarios that wouldbe used in their agency’s training. The two had intended tojust view the scenarios without utilizing any of the systemweapons. Neither officer had secured their service weapon.

During their review, one officer became so involved in thescenario that he pulled his pistol from the holster and firedone shot through the screen.

Incident #3

Several officers working the midnight shift were utilizingscenarios relating to response to active shooters. Signs hadbeen placed on entry doors to the training area prohibitingweapons in the room.

The officers entered the room with their weapons. Theirweapons were placed on a table near the simulator. An officerthat had been firing the system’s AR-15 mistook his or one ofthe other officer’s pistol for a system pistol when going toanother scenario. He fired one shot through the screen.Fortunately, the screen was against a block wall as an occupiedoffice was on the other side of the wall.

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FIREARMS SIMULATOR SAFETY! AN UPDATE TO KENTUCKY LAW ENFORCEMENT ON FIREARMS TRAINING SAFETY

The Need for Ongoing Improvements

KLCIS has had several safety protocols in the past, but wecan continue to learn from others. There were numerousdocumented incidents from across the country whereinstructors and/or students picked up a weapon in the trainingroom, believing it was a training weapon, which resulted inthe shooting of the screen. In several of the incidents therewere no block walls and rounds penetrated the training roomwalls, which could have resulted in someone being killed.

During another demonstration session for the public, anobserver standing near the rifle case picked up the officer’sactual pistol and pointed it at another observer thinking it wasa training weapon. Luckily another officer on-site respondedbefore a tragedy occurred.

This incident resulted in requiring all pistols to be lockedin patrol cars before entering the training area. However, wewere informed that a department following the same protocolin another state had an active shooter at the training locationand that the officers could not get to their weapons.

This resulted in KLCIS purchasing a pistol safe for each ofour three systems that are taken to each training site. Officersare required to secure pistols, magazines, Tasers, OC spray inthe safety box. Even after implementation of this protocol anofficer failed to secure his weapons and fired a round throughthe screen.

From reviewing numerous simulator accidental shootings,it is clear that accidents can happen regardless of the protocolsestablished.

Updated KLCIS Requirements

The bottom line is that KLCIS constantly monitors safetyat firearms safety events. One important step KLCIS hastaken is the requirement that the wall behind the simulatorscreen is capable of stopping a bullet (block wall).

KLCIS believes that firearm simulators are very valuable inassisting officers in using ethical, proper use of force, reducingrisk exposure to the department; and increasing safety. Withthis in mind, we must continue to strive to make training safe.

With questions or feedback, contact Mark Filburn or TroyPitcock with KLCIS at 800.876.4552.

Authors Mark Filburn and Troy Pitcock are Law EnforcementSpecialists for the Kentucky League of Cities and are retired lawenforcement officers from the Louisville Metro Police Department.

Guns must be locked in a KLCIS-provided safe.

A wall capable of stopping a bullet must be placed behindsimulator screens.

KLCIS has implemented the followingrequirements and reminders for all firearmssimulator training:

w Instructors must review, emphasize and followtraining protocols.

w Locations are required to have a concrete wallbehind the simulator screen.

w Instructors must not allow any weapons in thesecure training area. Signage (provided byKLCIS) must be posted (see next page).

w Weapons must be locked in KLCIS-suppliedpistol safes.

w There is an ongoing need for heightenedvigilance, especially after lunch when most ofthe training accidents occur.

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FIREARMS SIMULATOR SAFETY! AN UPDATE TO KENTUCKY LAW ENFORCEMENT ON FIREARMS TRAINING SAFETY

Instructors cannot allow firearms in training scenarios.Signs provided by KLCIS must be posted.

Questions? KLCIS is here to help!Please contact Mark Filburn (mfilburn@klc.org) or Troy Pitcock (tpitcock@klc.org) with KLCIS Loss

Control Law Enforcement at 800-876-4552 or visit klcis.org for more information.

Mark Filburn Troy Pitcock