Due to the weather in Texas, it took me 35 hours to get there. Every flight was either cancelled or delayed. Finally got to my hotel at 0200 on July 14th, and had to be at North Delta Training Academy in West Monroe, LA by 0700 for set up just a few hours later.
With all that said, it was a great Basic FTO class. We had attendees from several Parishes in Louisiana, as well as Louisiana Parks, and two students from Mississippi. As usual, the average tenure of the students attending was 7 years of law enforcement.
Many of the attendees were extremely excited to learn how to properly utilize the SEGs and determine the correct numerical rating for a specific Task Element, which is assigned at the end of the day. We emphasis that student officers perform any Task Element as either “acceptable” or “unacceptable” as compared to that of a solo officer. There is no such thing as a student officer receiving a numerical rating while performing a Task Element. That task was either performed acceptably or unacceptably. The numerical rating is issued at the end of the day. That is why, it should be impossible for a student officer to receive a 1 in any given Task Element—provided the FTO is doing their job.
Here Are a Few of the Comments from This Group of Students:
“I thoroughly enjoyed the class, it opened my eyes on the grading aspect and how in depth the class goes into completing a DOR for a student officer.”
“I really enjoyed this class and all of the examples/stories. I would recommend this class to every agency.” ~Savannah Rojas, Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office
“This class enlightened me to recognize areas of my career I need to improve on to be a successful FTO. The class and the instructor provided me the confidence I need to perform well for my student officers and my department.”
“Great class to attend for all FTOs—should be mandatory. The information was presented in a way everyone can understand.” ~J. Barkley, Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office
“This class was very informative and taught well. Instructor was great at teaching the course and was able to break down the material where I was able to understand easily.”
“Instructor made me realize how I made errors on previous DORs and showed me how to correctly complete the DOR, utilizing both the numerical ratings as well as my documentation. GREAT CLASS!” ~Chad Bennett, Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office
“Outstanding class. Very in-depth. Will help in teaching and evaluating students in a fair and unbiased manner. I believe all new FTOs should be required to take this class.”
“Amazing class and instructor. After attending this class, I feel I have learned a lot. I would recommend this class to anyone wanting to be an FTO.” ~Student from Union Parish Sheriff’s Office
“This course was very informative. The instructor was well prepared and versed with the material presented. It made me excited about my future as an FTO.” ~Ed Knight, Vicksburg Police
Upcoming Classes:
We are now preparing for our last scheduled Basic FTO Class, which will be in Everett, WA September 15th-19th, 2025!
The following week will be in Lynnwood, WA (the 22nd and 23rd of September) for a 2-day Refresher Class.
Then, on September 24th, we will have our Managing Your FTO Program Class.
If you are at all interested in attending any of these remaining classes, please register soon as these classes are filling.
Also, this page is where we keep a list of upcoming classes. You can also read about the different class types here. And, as always, if you would like to host a class, please fill out this form or contact us at 425-426-6350, or email us at ftoschool@gmail.com.
