OZARK (KFSM) — Local law enforcement took part in some intense training this week. Some of the situations seen in the video above can get graphic.
From hostage situations, to a robbery, to a mass shooting in progress, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office is getting some hands-on practice responding to just about anything.
“It seems like every day or so you're hearing about an officer-involved shooting and I thought it would be some great training for our guys,” Sheriff Anthony Boen said.
MILO training is a computer and video based, real-time, force option and critical incident training system for law enforcement officers. It’s currently offered when someone goes through the police academy. The equipment is manufactured by IES Interactive Training of Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Sheriff Boen thought the simulator would be a good way to remind his deputies not to become complacent.
“This stuff can happen no matter where you live,” he said. “It can happen anywhere, and this just kind of helps us to be prepared in case it does.”
Instructors Tony Madlock and Scott Rosson from the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy are based in East Camden, Arkansas. They came to Ozark providing the equipment and instruction for the on-site MILO training. Both instructors are certified veteran law enforcement officers. Jami Cook is the director of the state agency. A.L.E.T.A. provides basic and specialized training for the majority of Arkansas’s municipal, count and state law enforcement officers.
MILO does not stand for anything, but the system has hundreds of different training scenarios. The officers training must react and process information in a matter of seconds.
“You've got a split-second to make that decision on whether to shoot or not to shoot,” Sheriff Boen said. “It just kind of helps us mentally prepare for that.”
The Johnson County Sheriff's Office, Logan County Sheriff's Office and Ozark Police Department also joined in on the free training.