Book Description

This manual is a resource for those who develop and present police training courses for driving a police vehicle in routine and emergency situations in California. The goals of the EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operations Course) Instructor Training Course are to increase the knowledge and abilities of instructors who present driver training courses in California and standardize this training throughout the State. Successful completion of this course provides expertise and instructor qualification. Following an introduction/orientation, the manual outlines the major sections of the 40-hour curriculum. Four hours are devoted to defensive driving factors; the student will be instructed in the causes and classification of emergency vehicle accidents and techniques for avoiding collisions. Four hours address vehicle operations factors; students will learn the concepts of vehicle dynamics, vehicle control techniques, braking, and roadway position. Three hours cover emergency driving factors; students will be instructed in the legal and liability issues pertinent to emergency response driving, pursuit driving, and pursuit guidelines. Twenty-four hours are spent on practical application exercises; students will develop proficiency and techniques required to complete selected driving exercises, including steering, reverse driving, vehicle control, braking in a turn, skid recovery, and various pursuit driving exercises. Two hours are devoted to course management components; students learn the process of training site selection, safety considerations, obtaining equipment, scheduling training and instructors, planning for contingencies, and ensuring proper student to instructor ratios. One hour is spent on course critique and evaluation. For each component of the curriculum, this manual provides information on materials needed, the learning goals, course description, instruction procedures and methods, and testing methods.