Local mounted patrol greets a visitor.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/backwoodshome.com\/blogs\/MassadAyoob\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/IACP01.jpg\" "\\"IACP01\\"")
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I spent most of last week at a conclave of police trainers at the High Liability Instructor seminar at the Pat Thomas police training academy in Tallahassee.\u00a0 Tonight finds me in Orlando at the annual convention of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).\u00a0 Earlier today I spoke on a panel dedicated to the reduction of officer casualties, along with Sgt. Marcus Young (retired from Ukiah, CA PD) and Lt. Adam Kasanof (retired from NYPD), chaired by Dr. Fabrice Czarnecki, one of IACP\u2019s top medical consultants.<\/p>\n
It pleases me to see chiefs taking an interest in this. There is a public perception that bosses everywhere are faceless automatons who care nothing for their underlings, but the fact is, supervisor is to subordinate as parent is to child in some ways, including responsibility for their welfare. Because so many chiefs started as patrolmen and have DONE the job they now oversee, I get a strong sense from these top cops of a deep commitment to the safety and well-being of their personnel.<\/p>\n
I was particularly gratified to see a lot of cross-trained medical personnel in our panel\u2019s audience, including a number of SWAT MDs.\u00a0 These are full-fledged physicians with the latest training in treatment of life-threatening trauma. They roll with the SWAT teams, not just to save the lives of wounded officers but to save the lives of injured victims they rescue from hostage takers, and even the wounded perpetrators once the fight is over.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a huge convention: there are several thousand in attendance.\u00a0 For perspective, I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen a police trainers\u2019 conference hit a thousand attendees. There are some names you\u2019d recognize among that sea of officers, from Bill Bratton, now-retired chief of NYPD and later LAPD, to Gunnery Sergeant Lee Ermey, who was giving autographs at the Glock booth in the vast police equipment expo section.<\/p>\n
I met some old friends and some new ones \u2013 the sort of networking that such conferences are all about \u2013 and expect to meet more this week.\u00a0 I ain\u2019t a chief, but whatever level you\u2019re at in the hierarchy, you\u2019re in the same business.<\/p>\n
There was lots of cool stuff in the Expo hall. Mini-helicopter for patrol, anyone?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Local mounted patrol greets a visitor.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n