COMMUNICATIONS
TRAINING
ADVISORY
BOARD
Wyoming
Law
Enforcement
Academy
Thursday,
March
20,
2014
Members Present:
Jim Marker, Special Programs Manager, W.L.E.A.
Paul Smith, Special Programs Supervisor, W.L.E.A.
Dave Harris, Director, W.L.E.A.
Brian Brooks, Basic Programs Manager, W.L.E.A.
Wayne Mower, Basic Programs Supervisor, W.L.E.A.
Sharma Sonntag, Fremont County Sheriff’s Office
Mike Broadhead, Riverton Police Department
Ron Casalenda, Douglas Police Department
Clint Becker, Converse County Sheriff’s Office
Heather O’Connor, Wyoming Highway Patrol
Shannon Quenzer, Wyoming Highway Patrol
Tim Olsen, D.C.I.
Jeff Schulz, P.O.S.T.
Anna Blackford, Campbell County Sheriff’s Office
Members
absent: Bobbie Colvin, Powell Police Department; Kimberly Mullikin, Teton County Sheriff’s Office;
Brent Godfrey, Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office; Erin Applegarth, Niobrara County Sheriff’s Office; Ron Smith,
Campbell County Fire Department and Bill Gordon, Thermopolis Police Department.
Guests
present: Vere Cooper, Converse County Sheriff’s Office.
Jim called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. and then asked if everyone had a chance to look at the minutes
from the last meeting and if there are no changes for someone to make a motion to accept as is. Tim made
the motion and it was seconded by Sharma with all in favor.
Basic
Programs
Issues:
We are finally up to full staff with our instructors. Our last hire was Andrew Gilmore who came to us from
the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office. Andrew has six years of experience in law enforcement with detention
and one on the road.
Brian informed the board that Misty Clevenger would be the new coordinator for the Communications Basic.
So if you have any questions please direct them to either Brian or her.
We got some really good comments from the students on the last Communications Basic class we held with
the curriculum changes that were made.
The students gave us good feedback on the NCIC/WCJIS class. For those that had already taken the course
they still felt that it was good review information. They got useful tips on a lot of how to do things and for
those that hadn’t taken it before they thought it was one of the most beneficial classes, since they handle
this on a day to day basis.
Heather and Chris, due to weather couldn’t be here to instruct their classes so we had a couple of our
instructors fill in and although they didn’t have experience on the dispatcher side we still got some good
comments back on what they did present.
The National Weather Service class was a change that we had made and both of the instructors got good
reviews. They did a really dynamic job teaching and the students felt that they got some really good
information from it.
We did change the instructor for the Stress Management class and it was a good move. Ernie Gibson
instructs for us in the Detention Officer Basic class and he does a phenomenal job and from the comments
from this basic he did a really good job with this one to.
The Map Reading class took a few hits. Russ did a good job but we need to talk to him about his PowerPoint
and handouts because he didn’t seem really comfortable with them but maybe we can give him a few
pointers and help him out there. We did get some comments though that maybe we need some more time
for that block so Brian said he might talk to him and see if there’s something we can do in that area.
Other than that Sharma did a phenomenal job incorporating the information into her blocks and making it
relevant. We got some really good remarks back from the students.
Jeff wanted to know if there were any requests for more time on P.O.S.T. and Brian said that no one had even
said anything about it but that they had made some good comments on him.
Sharma said that she had heard that there were a lot of questions on the final exam for the HAZMAT class
and was wondering why, since it was only a two hour block. Heather thought maybe that was good because
she felt that we really did need to know a lot of information from the book and how to use. Brian said he
would check into.
Last year we had 16 in both of the Communications basics and we currently have 15 enrolled in the one
coming up so we are staying consistent with our numbers.
Brian said that it didn’t probably affect this board but he did give them copy of the ammunition costs for the
Peace Officer and Detention Officer Basic classes so they could take it back to their agencies. We will provide
the ammo during the basic training but the agencies will get charged for it and the prices may vary with each
of our bids. This will not apply to any of the advanced training because your agencies will have to provide
that.
Special
Programs
Issues
We had 16 attendees for the Annual Public Safety Communications Continuing Education course. The overall
rating was low this year but one of the reasons was because of the ICS course. The comments were that it
was too long and it was something they already had. The specific reason the students listed overwhelmingly
was because they felt it wasn’t something they needed. Right now that class is 6 hours
long and it will be going up to 8 if we put it in there again. If you do it on line you can typically do it in 4
hours. They still give you 6 hours of credit on line but why the 6 hours in the classroom is beyond us and if
anything in our opinion it needs to be trimmed back. But with that we talked to students and amongst
ourselves and came up with an official recommendation with some changes in topics.
The first years rotating schedule seemed to go well and then the second year we got more comments on
presenting more information on NCIC and we did look at that. On the second rotation of the first years
schedule Ron Casalenda did get some bad reviews on his Legal Update block but he was rushed and we feel
he needs more time for that.
For the second years schedule the Fatigued to Fulfillment class went fairly well but many felt that because it
was a DOC instructor that was teaching it wasn’t as geared towards communications.
We lost our Interpersonal Communication sources. Karen Holland and Skip Hornecker were the two that we
had but neither one of them were interested in continuing with teaching that. Karen backed out because she
said she didn’t feel confident with what she was bringing to the students in that area. She will continue
teaching the Conflict Resolution class for the third years schedule because she did feel assured that she was
qualified to present that information. Sharma said that Skip is looking at prepping someone to take over
teaching the Interpersonal Communications class for him.
With the Customer Service we had mixed messages all over. The students said it was great and the instructor
did a good job for the first time but because he wasn’t communications certified he couldn’t carry the
message but we disagree.
So our recommendations right now are to shorten the Orientation by a half hour and give that to the Legal
Update class for the first year’s schedule. The students have commented that they like that time during the
Orientation to get to know one another but Paul thought he could certainly cut that down and have a little
less formal introduction with the student’s and each other and also cut out some of the nice to know stuff
such as a brief history of the Academy etc.
For the second year rotation of the course we need to find an instructional resource for the Customer Service
and the Interpersonal Communications blocks. We lost Mary Augustin when she went to work for the private
sector with the Customer Service class several years ago. Paul asked that if anyone knew of anyone that
could teach these classes to please let him know.
For the third year we would recommend replacing the 6 hour block on ICS with something entirely different
and then also increasing that by a half hour with the Orientation again.
Sharma reminded the board that at our last meeting we talked about putting a lot of the content from the
Fire Dispatch class which was in the Communications basic into one of the advanced courses. Paul said that
Ron told him that there wasn’t any curriculum developed by the Fire Chief’s Association at this time for
advanced training.
Paul suggested that maybe we should put together a needs assessment survey specifically for
communications and asked for help from the board in formulating the questions. He would like to have
something put together and bring it to the August meeting.
Paul asked Brian if there was anything that came out of the job task analysis and Brian said he couldn’t think
of anything but asked how big of a deal it would be to offer an Emotional Family Survival class to the
dispatchers training. We do offer it in our Peace Officer and Detention Officer basic classes as well as our
advanced training and invite family members to come in and join the students and the comments have been
coming back really good. Brian said he felt there was a tremendous benefit with that type of training for the
students to help them work through those issues that come from a crisis that they may be involved in and
help them realize how that impacts them as well as their family. He didn’t necessarily feel that it would
involve six hours to cover it but it could be an option.
Paul assumed they got some of this in the Stress Management class and Brian said it was not the same. Clint
said that this was something that really gets overlooked in our office and we have to really think about
offering this to our dispatchers because they do take these calls. One particular incident we had was a suicide
and the dispatcher couldn’t help her because she had shot herself and she just had to keep her on the line
until we found out where she was located and by the time we did it was too late. If we make the dispatchers
aware that this may happen ahead of time, this may help them to deal with it emotionally a little better down
the line. Sometimes we don’t think of it because it’s not that big of deal to us but it just may be to them.
Brian said he may go back to Ernie Gibson or John Rabun who teaches Crisis Intervention and see what they
are covering.
Tim thought that this should possibly be added to the Basic and Brian said he wasn’t sure about that because
the curriculum is pretty tight with what we are offering right now. Clint thought that maybe if we do decide
to add it that we need someone to teach it that has the experience of being through some incidents like this
and let them know how they worked through and overcame it.
Jim said that we would add this to the survey and then take a look at it.
Jim asked the board for any more discussion on adding the additional half hour from the Orientation to the
Legal Update class for the first year of the advanced training schedule for 2015. If we didn’t want to make a
motion on that we would look at finding instructors to fill the rotation schedules for the next two years and
keep them as is. Sharma said she would make the motion to add the half hour to the Legal Update class and
Heather seconded with all in favor.
Jim said we are pretty well mirroring the same every year as far as our numbers for what we are offering on
campus and our usages. The only time we cancel classes is when we don’t meet the numbers physically to
meet our fiscal obligations. We have gotten away from our minimum which is 12 on some of our courses and
gone to 8 or 9 because of agencies that do need that training for POST hours and found that we can still be
able to cover the costs on those classes.
The Eyes for Lies class went over good the first time we held it but we did have some issues with the second
offering and the vendor canceling so that’s why it wasn’t a go.
The Standardized Field Sobriety Testing class didn’t get the numbers we needed so it was canceled but we
will look at offering it again in 2015.
Our usages have gone up. Our primary requests are from the Wyoming Highway Patrol and Probation and
Parole. U.S. Probation is coming in again for their second year of regional training because they say it’s the
most cost effective place for them. W.A.S.C.O.P. is still using it for some of their meetings and training also.
In another week we will host the Wyoming Highway Patrol’s In‐Service training for 5 weeks and then next
year we will get their port of entry employees. So that is a huge increase and the Probation and Parole has at
least two basics per year also which are 5 weeks long and then we also get the Game & Fish every other year
with one week of training.
We did offer some regional training off campus for the first time. A Preparing for Leadership class was held in
Cheyenne for the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyoming Highway Patrol. With Malloy Gould
retiring Chuck Bayne, Tim Feathers and Allen Thompson took over teaching that now and they do an
awesome job.
The Department of Corrections is looking at how to unify there department in some areas and one of their
requests to us was to receive WLEA Firearms certification for their officers. They wanted that training by
March of this year so Rick Crays has offered to go over to Guernsey for three weeks and teach that course.
The Emergency Medical Dispatch‐Priority Dispatch class has been scheduled for September 30‐October 2,
2014. Last year we only had one application so we had to cancel and Jim reminded them that because of
contract issues with our attorney in Cheyenne we have gone to being a host and it has increased the cost.
We did work with them the first year and got a really good deal so it was cost effective for here but now
contractually we just can’t make it happen anymore.
Vere said he did not like working with Priority Dispatch because it was difficult to obtain the continuing
education to keep the certifications up. Paul told him that they would accept all of our advanced classes as
long as you put the request in as individual courses and not as a conference and we have an agreement with
them to accept our advanced training as 24 hours. Jim said that was one thing that agencies hated the most
was finding ways to get that continuing educating and it’s really not that difficult. Anna said that there are
CD’s out there and you can print the quizzes and tests out and then just send them in to Priority for credit.
We are moving forward with our Distance Learning even after we had some setbacks with A & I and the
distance learning center. We have a new on‐line system with Moodle but our problem right now is space and
where to film. So we updated our tricaster system with some new equipment and we are in the process of
redoing what was our crime lab and turning it into a green screen film studio. With this happening our next
priority is to begin on‐line dispatcher training and in the future it may go to making the basics a hybrid
course.
Jim reminded Ron that he had brought up at the last meeting the issues with POST hours and distance
learning so he contacted Jeff on it. Jeff said his plan is to pitch it to the commission during their meeting in
Cheyenne in June. The last time he brought it up they were not by a large margin in favor of allowing more
on‐line training but there have been some changes with members on the board so he thought that may
change.
Dave said that the younger generation is going more so that way, so he felt that we need to look at meeting
those needs as well as this would cut down on the costs for travel to the agencies.
New
Business
We recently had a resignation from the WLEA Advisory Board which was an appointed sheriff’s position
recommended by the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police, Dave took that information to
WASCOP. From that a discussion branched out and someone asked; what were the rules as far as who sits on
these boards.
We are currently in the process of updating our Policy and Procedures for the Academy so we thought we
would bring this to you for your thoughts. What we would like to do is discuss the makeup of this board
(CTAB) and who makes the decision on appointments for this board. Dave said that if Mike, who as a chief,
were to step down right now we would take that to WASCOP. However, if Clint were to resign he asked do
you think we should take that to the Sheriff’s Association or to WASCOP. From the Detention Training
Advisory Board meeting the two sheriffs’ on that board thought the nomination should be coming from the
Sheriff’s Association and not WASCOP.
After some discussion Dave asked Clint if he could take this to the Sheriff’s Association and ask their opinion
on whether they thought WASCOP should nominate the Chief’s position and if they would nominate the
sheriff. Sheriff Murphy said he would bring the request for the Detention Training Advisory Board and he
would like Clint to handle the communications to make a policies change.
Mike thought that both of the positions should be appointed by WASCOP and that the sheriff’s appointed
should be members of both associations.
Dave said he would like to have some more discussion on this at our August meeting after we have
discussions this with representatives from the Sheriff’s Association and WASCOP.
‐
Note: On 5/1/14 the WLEA Advisory Board met in conjunction with the WASCOP Leadership
Conference. In that meeting it was decided by that board if either a Sheriff or Chief’s Vacancy
were to occur the recommendation should come from WASCOP as their membership is made up
of our State’s Sheriffs & Chiefs.
POST
Jeff said that all of the training records are on line now so the administrators should have access to those for
their employees. No paperwork will be sent out anymore.
With no more business to discuss Jim asked for a motion to adjourn. Sharma made the motion and it was
seconded by Ron with all in favor.
Next
Meeting
Date
The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 28, 2014 at 10 a.m. at the Academy.
Respectfully submitted,
Valerie Sullivan, Secretary to the Boa
rd
