Training Course Descriptions

This course will certify students as CPS Technicians.  It will provide them with the opportunity to apply basic technical skills and knowledge to correct installation and use of car seats, booster seats, and seat belts.  It will equip the student to educate caregivers:

In proper selection, installation, and use of car and booster seats and know when to move to seat belts once booster seats are outgrown.

So they can confidently install/reinstall car/booster seats. Enable you to be a resource in your communities.

The eight-hour Certification Renewal Course was developed to help former technicians regain their CPS technician certification. Individuals must have been nationally certified at some time and be in the CPS online system with an “Expired” status.

The course provides a brief overview of the technical information contained in the most recent version of the NHTSA curriculum and verifies technical skills through a series of hands-on assessments and a written test.

This course is designed for those who have stayed active in the field of CPS. Any technician who does not pass the Renewal Course is encouraged to take the full Certification Course again, rather than taking the Renewal Course again.

This training is worth 6 CEUs. This training is for current CPS techs who have NOT allowed their certification to lapse within the two year certification cycle. This CEU training meets the content requirements of improving CPS technical knowledge such as LATCH, a child restraint manufacturer workshop or CPS technical update. You need 6 CEUs to recertify. This training falls under the category of IN-PERSON SESSION WORKSHOP. These are structured presentations/sessions that meet content requirements during the certification cycle. Technicians will be given a certificate of completion and step by step instructions on how to enter in their CEUs within their profile on the Safe Kids system. In order to recertify you must pay the recertification fee (60.00) to Safe Kids NOT GHSO or the TN CPS CENTER. If you have any questions about payment please call Safe Kids directly at 18773668154.

PREREQUISITE: must have successfully completed 24 hour SFST course. SFST Course certificate required for entry. 

This course will train law enforcement officers to observe, identify, and articulate the signs of impairment related to drugs, alcohol or a combination of both in order to reduce the number of impaired driving incidents, serious injury, and fatal crashes.

This course will train other criminal justice professionals  (prosecutors,  toxicologists, etc.) to:

Understand the signs of impairment related to drugs, alcohol, or a combination of both.
Enable them to effectively work with law enforcement in order to reduce the number of impaired driving incidents, serious injury, and fatal crashes.

ALERT! Attendee must furnish a scientific calculator for this course. Dress Code: Attendees are required to dress comfortably for this course. BDU style pants with agency logo knit shirts are suggested. If the attendees' agency requires certain dress code for training classes, it will be the responsibility of the attendee to adhere to that agency policy. 

This course will provide students with the necessary skills to conduct a thorough traffic crash investigation and properly document their findings for courtroom presentation.

The student will be shown the proper procedures for measuring, scale diagramming and photographing for recording physical evidence and essential facts available only at the crash scene.   They will learn the fundamentals of mathematics, physics and engineering as they pertain to crash investigations and the proper mathematical equations to apply for the type of crash being investigated.  Finally, they will learn to analyze the information to determine what happened before, during and after the collision.

Controlled experiments with skidding vehicles and other projects throughout the course will allow them to apply these concepts to actual field situations.

The At-Scene Crash Investigations course will prepare them for a variety of advanced and specialty course in crash investigations. 

The Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program has received national acclaim for its success in identifying the drug-impaired driver. Officers trained as Drug Recognition Experts (DREs) are frequently called upon to differentiate between drug influence and medical and/or mental disorders and is an extremely valuable tool in combating the adverse impact of drug and alcohol impaired driving in our communities.

DRE School is extremely demanding. To receive certification as a DRE, three phases of training must be completed: Drug Recognition Expert Pre-School (16 hours) Drug Recognition Expert DRE School (56 hours) Drug Recognition Expert Field Certification (approximately 40-60 hours)

THE FOLLOWING SUMMARIZES EACH PHASE:

Phase 1 & 2 - Academic These phases are typically conducted over nine days (72 hours). It includes courses in physiology, vital signs, standardized field sobriety testing (SFST) and extensive information on each of the seven categories of the drugs of abuse. The training includes three written examinations, an SFST proficiency examination and five written quizzes. Students must achieve a minimum of 80% on the three examinations, and must demonstrate proficiency in administering SFSTs in order to progress to the certification phase.

Phase 3 - Field Certification After successfully completing the academic portion, the students must complete the third certification phase. It is the student’s responsibility to complete the certification requirements within six months following the DRE school. These requirements include: conducting a minimum of 12 drug influence evaluations while under supervision of a DRE instructor; identifying subjects under the influence of four of the seven drug categories; and attaining a 75% toxicological confirmation rate. In addition, the student must maintain a progress log, a rolling log and submit a written curriculum vita.

Finally, the student must pass a comprehensive final knowledge examination, and obtain the written endorsement of two certified DRE instructors. DRE certification is valid for two years. In order to maintain certification, DREs must conduct a minimum of four evaluations every two years, submit an updated rolling log, an updated curriculum vita, and attend eight-hours of approved re-certification training.

The SFST training focuses on a set of examination procedures that provide officers knowledge and
tools for DWI detection. The SFST course provides detailed explanations of the evaluation procedures, careful demonstrations of these procedures (both "live" and via video), and ample opportunities for the participants to practice administering the evaluations.

Sessions:
1. Introduction & Overview
2. Detection & General Deterrence
3. The Legal Environment
4. Overview of Detection, Note Taking & Testimony
5. Phase One: Vehicle in Motion
6. Phase Two: Personal Contact
7. Phase Three: Pre-Arrest Screening
8. Concepts and Principles of the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests
9. Test Battery Demonstrations
10. “Dry Run” Practice
11. “Testing Subjects” Practice: First Session
12. Processing the arrested suspect & preparing for trial
13. Report writing exercise & Moot Court
14. “Testing Subjects” Practice: Second Session
15. Review & Examination
16. Program Conclusion

This course is designed to provide basic information needed for certification by the Tennessee POST Commission as a Law Enforcement Instructor.  The course will meet the needs of the entry level or the experienced instructor in completion of the Instructor Development requirements as established by the Peace Officer Standards and training Commission for instruction of the traffic / safety related topics.

Students will learn the principles of writing performance objectives and their importance and be taught the major components of a lesson plan, as well as the types of lesson plans and acceptable formats.

This class will provide the student with the basic knowledge of instructor techniques, characteristics, traits and equipment to use as an instructor.  The student  will be taught the basic knowledge of authentic assessment methods to use as an instructor.

This course will provide the student with the basic knowledge of Classroom Management  techniques  and further provide the student with the basic knowledge of training liability and copyright law to use as an instructor.

ALERT: Participants need to bring a laptop to class This course will give traffic officers, managers, and those looking to start a traffic safety project the tools to succeed. This course will teach the attendee how to identify and confirm a traffic problem in their jurisdiction and utilize resources in education, engineering and/or enforcement to solve a problem affecting public safety. Sample projects will be developed in a small group setting and students will walk through internal and external methods necessary to identify, document, plan, set goals, implement, manage, and assess actions taken. Those registering are encouraged to come to class with a project in mind. This course will also address issues in TN GHSO Highway Safety Strategic Plans, the role of leadership in traffic safety officers, data collection, getting the community on board with traffic safety, handing the press in planning a traffic safety event, and potential untapped resources that can be used to support projects. Upon completion of the course, officers will have a sample project plan to take back to their jurisdictions and have the skills necessary to implement a traffic safety project. Project ideas can be but are not limited to: Safety Belts, Occupant Protection, Speed Enforcement, Impaired Driving, Distracted Driving, Aggressive Criminal Enforcement, Bus Safety, Motorcycle Awareness, Addressing Older Drivers, etc.

This course is designed to familiarize law enforcement personnel with traffic stop situations when dealing with Spanish speaking citizens.  Street-Slang Spanish, arrest expressions, cultural information, and information gathering from witnesses, victims and suspects are also covered.  The ultimate goal after taking this course, is for the officer to complete the traffic stop in Spanish by giving the require commands that fit the situation.

The emphasis of the program is to focus on courtesy expressions, understand street-slang Spanish, give commands, identify potentially dangerous situations, and conduct and/or gather the pertinent information for an investigative report.  In brief, this program is designed to enable those officers in attendance to survive and encounter with a Spanish speaker and to better serve Spanish speaking citizens.

This program was developed with the belief that participants will have little or no prior knowledge of the Spanish language.  However, participants who studied Spanish will also benefit from the technical aspects of this program.  this program is most beneficial to those officers and agents whose assignments require routine interaction with Spanish speaking individuals.

This course will improve your proficiency in the use of police traffic Radar and develop your instructional skills sufficiently to present Radar training programs to other members of law enforcement.

Students learn the characteristics of different types of stationary and moving Radar units. In addition, you will be coached in the use of instructional methods that emphasize the need for complete equipment familiarity on the part of the Radar operator. Various aspects of Radar use such as the Doppler principle, legal requirements and the relationship of traffic Radar to the overall speed enforcement program will be taught and the student will participate in practical exercises utilizing a variety of Radar equipment.

This Radar instructor course is based on "The Basic Training Program in Radar Speed Measurement" developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Topics include:

Radar policy and procedure
Legal requirements/case law
Factors affecting Radar
Visual speed estimates
Technical aspects of Radar
Same direction moving Radar
Theories of adult teaching and learning
Methods of instruction
Four-step teaching process
Practical and written examinations
Classroom presentations
LIDAR section of Class

This course will teach the characteristics of LIDAR units. LIDAR is an acronym for Light Detection And Ranging.

What can you do with LIDAR?

Measure distance
Measure speed Measure rotation

Measure chemical composition and concentration of a remote target where the target can be a clearly defined object, such as a vehicle, or a diffuse object such as a smoke plume or clouds.

Oftentimes, law enforcement and first responders work crashes that occur in the same place as other crashes. Sometimes, writing tickets isn’t enough, and a broader perspective is needed to understand why those crashes occur. This two-day workshop provides law enforcement and first responders with an exploration of some of the enforcement and engineering countermeasures and strategies that can be implemented to improve safety in our communities and save lives. Participants will learn the importance of investigating crashes beyond just a violation. Skills acquired through the workshop include determining if a “hot spot” needs actions beyond enforcement, (i.e. education, EMS, engineering); understanding the differences in possible causations of crashes and countermeasures of locals vs. non-locals; understanding the three elements of crash causations and their interaction; and understanding road safety assessments and how to conduct one.

This course is a comprehensive vehicle stops program that will train officers in basic and advanced strategies and tactics.  The tactics taught are also applicable in other law enforcement functions. Upon completion of this training, there is a written exam (90% passing score required) and a practical exam. Instruction includes video reviews, PowerPoint and hands-on training including red gun and air soft scenario training. An instructor manual will be provided.

The first three days are spent covering the “core” material in the first five chapters of the STOPS (Strategies & Tactics of Patrol Stops ) manual to prepare instructors to teach street level officers the 16 hour Basic Program.

Introduction to Vehicle Stops. This chapter sets the groundwork for strategies and tactics of vehicle and pedestrian stops which includes statistics on felonious and accidental assaults, Supreme Court cases, complaint reduction strategies, professionalism, verbal control tactics, and response to resistance continuum. Definitions are discussed on how to properly asses traffic stops using one of the three assessments (low risk, unknown risk, high risk).

    Low Risk Stops: It discusses optional cruiser positions and five (5) approach patterns to deploy to keep officers safe from both felonious and accidental assault.
    Unknown Risk Stops. This chapter discusses why officers fail to understand the dangers of walking up to vehicles. It covers the three (3) contact patterns to deploy to keep the officer safe from both felonious and accidental assault while initially remaining behind the open cruiser door.
    High Risk Stops. This chapter provides an easy~ but tactical way to conduct this type of stop. Tactics utilize a mirror-image method so that officers in the field can exit suspects from either side.

When Risk Factors Change. This chapter defines provides specific options to employ when things go wrong and risk factors. It teaches tactics on how to respond to threats that will save (and has saved) police officer’s lives.  THIS IS AN EYE OPENING EXPERIENCE.

Other topics discussed are two-officer deployments, vehicle extractions, drug interdiction stops, ambush stops, subject control tactics, simulated weapons training, firearms training, survival mindset, pursuits & crash scene control and motorcycle/bicycle patrol.

This course is based on the STOPS motto: “Train like you fight…Fight like you train!!!”

ALERT! Attendee must furnish a scientific calculator for this course. In modern law enforcement departments crash investigation requirements have developed into more than report writing and evidence gathering. There is a constant demand for more in-depth crash investigation to answer the age old question: who was at fault? This situation requires departments to have personnel with expertise in the higher levels of crash investigation. This course is for the experienced law enforcement officer~ supervisor or traffic homicide investigator who has had crash investigation training and is proficient in gathering evidence at the scene~ measuring~ scale diagramming and estimating minimum speed from skidmarks. Upon graduation from this course~ the student will have advanced to the next level of traffic crash investigation and obtained a relatively high degree of technical expertise in this field. Applicants for this course should have successfully completed the At-Scene Traffic Investigation course. Topics Include: Speed estimates from kinetic energy~ skidmarks~ scuffmarks and airborne situations Vehicle dynamics and motion Time~ distance~ and motion equations Conservation of momentum calculations Diagramming vehicle damage Vehicle damage analysis explaining thrust~ center of mass~ overlap and collapse Vehicle lamp examination Tire damage evaluation Advanced photography and video techniques Vector sum analysis

This seminar is designed for traffic officers. It focuses on the officer’s ability to testify in court about DUI traffic stops. Through lecture and participation, the officer learns how to understand and survive cross-examination and to make his direct examination testimony clear. All officers testify at this seminar and receive critiques by Prosecutors and or Judges concerning legal and stylistic issues. All officers have the opportunity to watch their testimony on videotape. Topics Include: Effective Police Report Writing and DUI Court Decisions How to Present Yourself in Court How to be Effective on the Stand Defense Attack Techniques Responding to Cross Examination Restrictions: Traffic Officers Only, Please.

This training course will provide school administrators/resource officers, teachers, and nurses with a systematic approach to recognizing and evaluating individuals in the academic environment who are using drugs and are impaired by drugs, in order to provide early intervention. This training is not intended to qualify participants as Drug Recognition Experts, but is intended to aid in the evaluation and documentation of those suspected of using drugs and those impaired by drugs. For the purpose of this training, the definition of a drug is any substance that alters perception or behavior, reducing that individual's ability to function appropriately in the academic environment.

This training will help officers to become more skillful at detection and description, make more DUI arrests and obtain more convictions. Participants will understand the deterrence effects of DUI enforcement; have a better understanding of the legal environment relevant to DUI enforcement and use of the three standardized field sobriety tests (SFST).Note: It is recommended that officers who have not received any IACP/NHTSA approved SFST training or updates within the last (3 yrs.) Re-attend.

A highway-rail grade crossing is an intersection where a roadway crosses railroad tracks at the same level. While collisions at grade crossings are a small percentage of law enforcement incidents, they are more likely to result in death or injury. Additionally, officers may respond to derailments, hazardous material releases, and traffic congestion. Trained law enforcement officers, already possess the necessary skills to investigate roadway crashes. This course instruction further enhances knowledge, response and performance to safely, effectively and efficiently investigate a railroad related incident. Each year, hundreds of motorists, pedestrians, and trespassers are killed or seriously injured in incidents with railroad trains. This course will prepare you, as a law enforcement officer, to safely respond to these incidents, and educate you on how your enforcement of traffic and trespassing laws can help in the prevention of these tragic incidents.

The Tennessee Department of Safety will be offering training on the capabilities of the NEW TITAN 'MAP-IT' feature. This training will provide instruction and demonstration on the MAP-IT functionality which will allow an officer to select a point from a county map, retrieve accurate location data(including Latitude/Longitude) and populate the information while completing a TITAN report.

Prerequisite: At a minimum, it is mandatory for each student to have successfully completed the 80 hour Advanced Traffic Crash Investigation Course. Student should have a good knowledge of time and distance concepts. ALERT! Attendee must furnish a scientific calculator and a Crash Investigator's Template for this course. Dress Code: Attendees are required to dress comfortably for this course. BDU style pants with agency logo knit shirts are suggested. If the attendees’ agency requires certain dress code for training classes, it will be the responsibility of the attendee to adhere to that agency policy. This course is designed for the traffic crash investigator to enhance their ability to investigate pedestrian involved traffic crashes. This course also includes techniques that will assist in the investigation of crashes involving bicycles and special circumstances related to pedestrian hit-and-run crashes. Topics Include: Crash dynamics Understanding of time and distance relationship between vehicles and pedestrians Injury analysis of pedestrians to provide information on the vehicle type involved Obtaining valid pedestrian walk and run speeds to be used in front line investigations Visibility issues in low-light and night time crashes Various roadway safety design issues (lighting, crosswalk styles, urban v. rural, etc…) Case preparation This course includes several hands-on practical exercises. This enables the student to learn first-hand about the dynamics involved in investigating this type of crash.

Prerequisite: Because of the highly technical subject matter, it is mandatory for each student to have successfully completed the 80 hour Advanced Traffic Crash Investigation course. Since it is vital for graduates of this program to be able to give expert testimony in court, enrollments will be limited. Early application for this course is encouraged. ALERT! Attendee must furnish a scientific calculator for this course. Dress Code: Attendees are required to dress comfortably for this course. BDU style pants with agency logo knit shirts are suggested. If the attendees' agency requires certain dress code for training classes, it will be the responsibility of the attendee to adhere to that agency policy. Many trained law enforcement officers have difficulty getting their crash investigation findings admitted into evidence in court. This course is designed to help overcome this difficulty by enabling a well-trained police officer to qualify as an expert and give expert testimony in a court of law relative to the causation factors in motor vehicle traffic crashes. Students who successfully complete this course will be able to give expert testimony in the following areas: Derivation and origin of the commonly used speed formulas Speed of vehicles at impact using conservation of linear momentum Behavior of vehicles in a collision using Newtons three laws of motion The effect of weight shift in braking involving large trucks and buses, including truck-tractor semi-trailer combinations The effect of computer or anti-skid breaking systems in stopping distances and braking action The determination of direction of travel, initial contact and position of vehicles on the roadway This course includes extensive project work and controlled vehicle experiments to give students first hand experience in proving that the specific equations are accurate.

Prerequisite: Because of the highly technical subject matter, it is recommended that each student to have successfully completed, at a minimum, a Basic Traffic Crash Investigation course. Since it is vital for graduates of this program to be able to give expert testimony in court, enrollments will be limited. Early application for this course is encouraged. ALERT! Attendee must furnish a digital camera, external flash unit with sync cord, tripod, and laptop computer with a card reader. Dress Code: Attendees are required to dress comfortably for this course. BDU style pants with agency logo knit shirts are suggested. If the attendees' agency requires certain dress code for training classes, it will be the responsibility of the attendee to adhere to that agency policy. Course Description: This unit of instruction is intended to develop basic skills needed in preparing effective traffic crash scene photographs for both the initial crash investigation as well photographs that will be utilized in a court proceeding. It is designed to instruct the student in the types of photographs necessary, lighting techniques, environmental factors and how to determine best practices for the individual student. Course Objectives: Basic camera function Use of digital cameras Recommended equipment What to take and when to take it Describe and use various lighting methods and techniques Measurements and evidence procedures Photographing the scene (vehicle damage, injuries, property damage) Court Presentation This course includes extensive project work and controlled crash scene components. A segment of the course will be conducted during the evening hours simulating dim light and low light conditions. This will allow the student an opportunity to photograph traffic crash scenes in a variety of situations.

DESCRIPTION: This course combines two classes: SFST and Traffic DUI Enforcement Spanish classes. It is designed for officers with little or no Spanish language vocabulary whose job duties are primarily Traffic and DUI Enforcement. NOTE: Day 1 will be an 8 hour SFST Refresher (in English); Days 2-4 will be Spanish Language Training. In order to complete the course, officers must attend for all four days. SFST refresher will present updated information in SFST procedures (HGN, WAT, and OLS), case law, and case preparation. Spanish language training includes: Spanish Alphabet, Phonetics and Pronunciation, and How to Gather Accurate Investigative Information, Motorist Compliance,Holidays Critical to Traffic Enforcement Issues, Unknown and High Risk Traffic Vocabulary, Accident Investigations, DUI and SFST Vocabulary and Defending the Same in Court, Seat Belts, Child Safety Seat Vocabulary. PREREQUISITE: This course will focus on DUI/SFST and Traffic vocabulary and procedures; officers must have completed an approved NHTSA/IACP (24 HR) Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Course within 24 months prior to enrollment.Confirmation of prior SFST course completion will occur on site at course registration.