2025 was a fairly busy year. We held several Basic FTO classes in Washington state with host agencies to include the Everett Police Department (twice), Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Fife Police, West Richland Police, and Lynnwood Police Departments.
We also traveled to Louisiana where we were hosted by the North Delta Training Academy for a Basic 40-hour class. Even though states have different laws and policies, the San Jose Model (SJM) of field training fits perfectly across various states with very minor adjustments. With the core competencies required to perform the duties of a police officer throughout the nation being very similar, the utilization of the DOR and SEGs make your FTP in line with the national standard.
We also provided 3 FTO Refresher classes and an FTO Program Management Course in 2025.
Our attendees our asked to provide their feedback on the courses that they just completed. Below are just a few of those provided.
From the Basic 40-Hour Class:
- “Very informative class. Great amount of learning and instructing throughout the class. Easy to understand and obtain the information presented. Our department has decided to utilize only your FTO courses.” ~Officer from Port Gamble, WA Police
- “The instructors know their material. It’s obvious they are experts.” ~Officer from Bothell, WA Police
- “I have a much better understanding of the FTO Process and what is expected of me and the student officer.” ~Officer from Swinomish, WA Police
- “I absolutely enjoyed this class. It was filled with knowledge and laughs.” ~Officer from Mountlake Terrace, WA Police
- “The class was enjoyable which made it easy to learn. The instructors provided a fantastic environment for learning and allowed for participation.” ~Officer from Redmond, WA Police
- “The instructors were very knowledgeable and entertaining. The block on The Nobility and Culture of Policing was a great addition.” ~Officer from Everett, WA Police
- “Great Class! It’s rare to walk away feeling as though I gained anything from classes in this day and age. The class was well presented and engaging. I have much more confidence heading into my role as an FTO than I did before attending this class.” ~Officer from Tumwater, WA Police
This recent Managing Your FTO Program Class was our first. We had 22 Field Training Managers in attendance and overall it was a success. This was a 1-day course designed specifically for those who manage the day-to-day oversight of the program. As always, we take to heart the comments from our attendees so we can be sure to address the specific issues they are faced with. Several suggestions requested additional information related to issues dealing with DORs being submitted incorrectly, documentation not supporting the numerical ratings given, and remedial training not being properly documented.
Some comments from this first field training officer program management class:
- “I was in need of suggestions and recommendations dealing with improving consistency and I am leaving with a full page of notes and ideas on how to do this.”
- “This course was well laid out and showed the instructors had thought out the content.”
- “The higher-level management information could have been left out. More on issues related to improper DORs, what to be looking for, etc. Overall, a valuable course.”
- “I really enjoyed the higher-level look at the FTO Program. Smaller agencies may not have the opportunity to receive this type of information.”
- “Great overall review of the SEGs and the proper use of them. Leadership discussions were very valuable.”
- “I learned several concepts and ideas that I believe I will use to better my agency’s FTO Program.”
- “The course material was better explained in the 8 hours than in my original 40-hour FTO Class.”
- “Some of the upper management and political portions were not applicable.”
As we look ahead to 2026, we have (2) 40-hour Basic FTO classes already in the works. One in April and one in September (both in Everett, WA). If you are in need of a high-quality field training officer class, please contact us soon, as the calendar fills quickly. With 7 classes in 2025, and 2026 already booking dates, we book spots on a first-come first-served basis.
Wishing you all a great and safe fall and winter. See you in 2026!
(This page has a list of upcoming classes. To read about different class types we offer, click here. If you would like to host a class, please fill out this form, contact us at 425-426-6350, or email us at ftoschool@gmail.com.)
Pictures from Our Basic FTO Class in Everett and Our Refresher Class in Lynnwood, WA:
Pictures From Our First FTO Management Class (Lynnwood, WA):
