COMMUNITY
Public Safety Continued
FTU members performing maintenance and repair on a rifle in the armory
Simmunition force-on-force training where officers test and
validate tactics against role players armed with non-lethal paint
marking devices in dynamic scripted situations that can then
be reviewed and analyzed at their conclusion in order to learn
valuable lessons in a safe environment.
Members of the FTU are all registered as instructors through the
Municipal Police Officers Training and Education Commission
and serve as adjunct instructors at the Allegheny County
Police Training Academy. They are also responsible for training
cadets as they go through the Act 120 Police Officer Training
Program. This interaction with cadets builds bonds between the
department and future officers both in Ross and neighboring
departments.
In addition to instructing, the FTU maintains the department’s
armory. Members are certified armorers for the various weapon
systems authorized for use by the sworn members including
Glock, Smith and Wesson, Sig Sauer, Mossberg, and the AR15
rifle. The FTU also does routine maintenance and repairs on
officers’ weapons and maintains an inventory of ammunition
needed for duty use and training. The FTU also acts as advisors
for policy regarding weapons, training, and use of force issues. In
this capacity they must stay up-to-date on current legal, tactical,
and technical developments within these fields and do so
through a variety of venues.
The FTU also provides a window into understanding use of force
issues for the community. During the Ross Community Day of
July 2017, the unit operated the FATS simulator on the carnival
thoroughfare to give residents a glimpse at situations faced by
police and the potential outcomes of various decisions they may
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ROSS TOWNSHIP
make. The experience offers both an entertaining diversion and
valuable opportunity to dispel many misconceptions. Following
a brief explanation of procedures they are then put into the
shoes of a police officer in the midst of a variety of scenarios. The
FTU also has firearm safety information for our youth that can be
distributed on request.
A number of current projects are in the works for the FTU
including an ongoing standardization of duty weapons for
officers, development of several new curricula, and facility and
equipment upgrades.
While it is the hope of the Ross Police Department that no force
ever need be used to uphold the law and ensure the safety of the
citizens of Ross Township, the FTU works to ensure that when it
is required, it is administered within the boundaries of the law,
appropriately, and proficiently.
The Firearms Training System relocated to the upper field of the Community
Center and set up for Ross Community Day