(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today unveiled three new mobile training facilities now available to law enforcement agencies across the state.
The new Portable Training Facility (PTF) units are designed to train officers on techniques for responding to active shooter incidents.
The PTFs are designed primarily for use by patrol officers.
"Ohio's patrol officers are the street officers who will arrive to an active shooting scene well before a SWAT team has time to mobilize," said Attorney General DeWine. "It is important that our patrol officers get the chance to practice and sharpen their skills in responding to these types of emergencies."
The facilities can also be used to train officers on responding to unknown disturbances and on conducting a building search.
The PTFs are composed of collapsible wall panels that can be assembled to mimic the interior structure of a building or home.
"We are excited to offer these PTFs because many law enforcement agencies don't have access to empty buildings that will allow them to conduct this type of training," said DeWine. "Plus, a vacant building only has a single interior structure, while these facilities can be reassembled into several different layouts that give officers a unique training experience."
The facilities are part of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy's (OPOTA) Mobile Academy program that was launched by Attorney General DeWine in 2012.
OPOTA's Mobile Academy revolutionizes the approach to law enforcement training by bringing the training tools to the officers, instead of requiring officers to travel to an OPOTA campus.
In addition to the PTFs, OPOTA's Mobile Academy also gives officers access to driving and firearm simulators which contain hundreds of realistic scenarios.
OPOTA also employs expert instructors to conduct the training, most of which is available at no cost to local agencies.
The PTFs and simulators are funded by taxes from Ohio's casinos. Two-percent of Ohio's casino taxes are deposited into the Attorney General's Law Enforcement Training Fund.