Click here to download the catalog as a PDF file. To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. RESERVES PERRY W. hORNBARGER DEDICAtION AND PROFEssIONALIsM thAt GOEs BEYOND PAY. uh? What the heck is a KSA? It’s the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities you need to know to do your job effectively. As Reserve/Auxiliary officers who do not practice routine police work on a daily basis, we need to constantly train to maintain our KSAs. A reader recently wrote in the “Return Fire” section that he was a firearms instructor, and the reserve component in his organization didn’t do one-tenth that of training regular officers. Assuming this is an accurate statement, I was a little ashamed when I read it. I was ashamed that a department would think so little of their volunteer cops to not offer more training than that, and ashamed of the members for allowing it. We’ve discussed training previously, but after reading that response, I felt inclined to revisit this area. KSA MAINtENANCE — AKA — tRAININg H hat’s the $64,000 question. In our department, we make every attempt at maintaining the KSA’s our officers need to be effective. We’re required — by state code and department policy — to attend the same Mandatory In-Service Training (MIST) all our officers must attend, which equates to about 40 hrs. of instruction and range time per year. In addition to the MIST training, we also meet monthly and provide some type of class each meeting night. The department is very responsive to our training needs and they understand the adult learning and retention issues. At the beginning of each calendar year, my command staff sits down with the Academy staff and we put together a monthly training schedule. Then InService provides qualified instructors. They also bring in and offer various classes throughout the year (anywhere from half-day to week long classes, depending on the topic) for all officers. Our Auxiliary officers are welcome to attend those as well. 28 T How MucH Is EnougH? ? I believe it would be accurate to say most Reserve/Auxiliary officers work mainly weekends when they’re not bound by their normal jobs and can stay out later into the night. If you’re like me, I may only work two or three weekend nights each month — it’s less than a regular cop works in a week. Many of the things he does are learned and retained by sheer repetition. If we do a given task one time during our shifts each month, is it enough to retain it in our little pea brains? As an example, I process people that I have arrested on warrants almost every time I go out. But each time I do, it seems I have to learn or relearn some new piece of paperwork or process, or maybe I just forgot since the last time. Maybe I’m a little thicker than most, but it seems as if it’s a never-ending battle. If we don’t do the job or train constantly we risk losing those KSAs we once learned. Put some thought in it ach department, based on unit expectations, will have different training needs. If your department uses you to do simple tasks such as directing traffic or only working large events and your members are unarmed, the list of KSAs will be a short one. On the other end of the spectrum, if your department expects you to go out and do virtually the same job a regular cop does, your list will be much longer. Know what’s expected of you and make sure you have the KSA to do your job effectively. Remember each and every time you go out there you’re putting your life and the lives of others in jeopardy if you’re not properly trained. e * WWW.AMERICANCOPMAGAZINE.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009