Here’s another quick update from Mark Merrill at the Idaho POST Academy.

Officers completed their 3^rd “Weekly Exam” and averages remain fairly high. The class average was 86.4% for this exam.

They also completed classroom portions for Officer Survival, Patrol Procedures, and Building Search. They also got up and out of the classroom for practical building search instruction, decision shooting exercises, and our Field Skills block that included high risk traffic stops, high-ration contacts, active gunmen and open area movement, and transition drills. A good half of the week was practical and hands-on.

This week’s schedule includes two days of Crash Investigations with an optional Radar class in the evenings, DUI Investigations with the accompanying evening wet lab, and Gangs and Gangs scenarios in the afternoon.

Exciting news out of the Idaho POST academy this week – Idaho Falls Police Officer Jon Baird was elected as the vice president of the class!

Way to go Jon!

That’s a great honor and his POST classmates selecting him as their VP really speaks to his great character! We’re positive he’ll represent his class and our department well.

Patrol Academy #181 is at their half-way mark, which means that they class has taken their written exam over their firearms classes. This exam holds a higher standard for a passing score than most written exams. Students also did their Physical Readiness Test.

In other news, last week the class finished up their EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operation Course) and firearms split. They also finished up classes on auto theft and water safety. This week they’ve been working on officer survival, patrol procedures and building searches.

The class is inching forward to completion with only a few weeks remaining before graduation!

Idaho POST Training Specialist Mark Merrill continues to send us weekly updates. It’s always great to find out what our officers are working on at POST. Officer Baird is getting closer to completion!

From Mark Merrill:

This week is pretty easy for the Academy, each half of the class simply switches. It’s EVOC and Firearms again. What group one did last week group two does this week, and vise-versa. Those doing EVOC this week will have their use of force encounter tomorrow night and, as I mentioned last week, I can make a video of your student’s performance available to you, or you’re welcome to come observe.

Our weekly exam was given this morning as Monday was a “holiday” and our curriculum dept. wasn’t around to help with testing and grading. Everyone passed this week’s test with another solid class average; 88.2%.

Here’s another update from Training Specialist Mark Merrill at the Idaho POST Academy. Officer Baird continues to do well as he moves closer to graduation.

Here are some of the highlights from last week and what Officer Baird is working on this week:

The last week of the Academy included Drug ID & Investigation, Domestic Violence, CPR & First Aid, Special Needs Citizens, and Reactive Impact Weapons. Tuesday night was Domestic Violence scenarios and Thursday night was our Active Counter Measures class where students get to go 3 minutes with a person in a F.I.S.T. Suit. That was a gut-check for some, but no one gave up, everyone stayed in the fight.

This week the class is split in half; one half is on the range doing Firearms while the other half is here at POST doing EVOC. Next week they will switch. The half that is here doing EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operation Course) will get a use of force scenario/encounter on Wednesday night. This scenario is one that will require the student to make a decision to act that will require a use of deadly force on their part. These will be videoed and I can make those available to you at your request.

Friday the class will come back together for Traffic Stops; classroom in the morning and practical’s in the afternoon.