“Day -1, I Was Not Ready to Be An FTO; Day -5, I Feel Prepared.”

April 30, 2024

We just completed another Basic FTO Class in Everett, WA. It was great to see representatives with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office back in the class.

This was a large class with 28 attendees heading back to their agencies to begin the process of training the next generation of new employees. This was a diverse group made up of law enforcement professionals from Patrol, Custody, Tribal, Fish and Game, and Parking Enforcement.

Interestingly, a large part of our curriculum is for our new FTO’s to focus on Training Towards Success. By this, we mean for the attendees to develop the mindset to train their new hires to be an asset to a crew, rather than be a hindrance. We provide our attendees not only with the tools needed to become a good FTO trainer, evaluator, coach, and mentor, but also to develop the skills to become a great FTO themselves.

We believe we provide this training experience, but what do the attendees say about the process?

“This was an excellent class! I was a little nervous about this class and becoming an FTO. The instructors did an excellent job explaining the material and clearly defining the job of an FTO. I have a clear and strong understanding of my job. I wish Dave [Harris] could teach all of the classes for our department.”

“I wish more trainers shared the passion for not only police work, but to the development of police officers. This was a fantastic class, and I am even more excited to begin teaching.”

“Day -1, I was not ready to be an FTO; day -5, I feel prepared.”

“I thought this training was fantastic. Every officer that wants to become an FTO should go through this course to get a great understanding of the San Jose Model of field training.”

“I learned so much from attending this class. Not only the skills to become a much better FTO, but became aware of some of the areas I need to improve myself. This class will aid myself, my department, and unit in developing a formal field training program.”

“Excellent instruction! It is always great to see instructors that truly have a mastery of the material they present. Great use of real-life examples. The group projects enforce the need to remember that the numerical rating is a reflection of the performance of the day and not one incident.”

“One of my favorite trainings in my career so far. Instructors were well educated and very well versed in the material.”

“After taking this class, I have a better understanding of the DOR and grading methodologies.”

If you are looking for a program where your attendees will come away with a better understanding of the SJM Model of field training, please give us a call at 425-426-6350. There are plenty of other comments listed here on the website.

It is our goal to aid in the development of those wanting to help the next generation of their employees have a great experience learning the skills they will need to become successful in their new careers.

Again, below is our schedule for the remainder of the year. You can also view our class landing page for current courses. We hope to see you in one of our courses!