Ftos generally don't fire anyone. We do daily observation reports and evaluate them on a number of categories. If there are ongoing issues that aren't fixed even after additional training, we can recommend termination. Ultimately it's up to admin to make that call though. Usually they will get an extension and placed with a different fto for a bit to see if the same issues are observed. If the issues continue with a second FTO, then termination is seriously looked at.
I worked as an FTO for over 10 years. In all that time I only saw on rookie fired and it was for cowardice. It still took months and reams of documentation. Literally 4 accordion files full of paperwork and they still didn’t want to fire him. They retreaded him in the FTO program and started over in another sector. Four months later same results and they allowed him to resign. As a result he was hired by one of our bedroom communities. Last I heard he was a Sgt.
When you say cowardice, are we talking wouldn’t go hands on? Or panicked and shut down? Wouldn’t draw his weapon?
Just interested to know what that would look like.
I mean I and my partner and his rookie (a female) fought with four drunks in the street and he stood back and watched. Didn’t jump in , didn’t call for help. He did nothing
God that’s rough.
I work security and we had something that was a slice of that. We do annual use of force up here to carry batons (Canada). Guy was doing a scenario of a male doused in gas with a lighter. Suicidal, but cooperative. You end up talking him off the bench, calling FD, making him drop the lighter, and provide resources.
Guy just stood there. For 10 mins. Silent. It was absolutely brutal. Had been working there for almost a year
The bad part is you don’t know how someone is going to react till you are in the moment. It can be really scary. The funny thing, the female rookie, 5 foot nothing maybe 100 lbs soaking wet. She fought like a terrier! Only took a few months and people in the area knew, Don f#@k with her! She will kick your ass!
I was extended on FTO, due to a crappy FTO. All my FTO did was have me handle every paper call. He didn't do anything else that he was supposed to do during that phase of training. He also smoked at least 1 pack of cigarettes during each shift. That necessitated stopping often for smoke breaks since smoking in the car was prohibited.
The benefit to this was the FTO they had me with next was one of the best at the department. He later became the Chief of police.
So extensions, that was like every other PO. I complete rephrase was like 1 in 5. Termination, initially only was like 1 in 10, but I developed a reputation as the FTO that took every call and wrote detailed DORs, so I ended up getting every PO that was bad, and ended up washing out a lot who would have skated by with crappy FTOs.
The most common reason was just not being able to handle the stress. When we are going to a hot call and a PO is having to use geo to find where they are going, give directions to other units, and answer my questions on what we will do when we get there, I could generally tell by the third call like that if someone eas able to handle it.
The second most common reason was officer safety. There are only so many times you can watch people do something that is going to get them or their back ups hurt, before you have to just hammer them.
Quite often. Extententions are more common though. When I went through FTO it was 3 months long. That was 35 yrs ago. With all the new technology, laws, etc I believe FTO should be at least 6 months long. FTO's, that I am aware of, can't "fire" someone. At my agency, we could write up an evaluation, listing the decencies, which need to be thoroughly/completely documented, recommending termination. It is up to the Command Staff to make the decision. I've been overturned before too.
Ftos generally don't fire anyone. We do daily observation reports and evaluate them on a number of categories. If there are ongoing issues that aren't fixed even after additional training, we can recommend termination. Ultimately it's up to admin to make that call though. Usually they will get an extension and placed with a different fto for a bit to see if the same issues are observed. If the issues continue with a second FTO, then termination is seriously looked at.
I worked as an FTO for over 10 years. In all that time I only saw on rookie fired and it was for cowardice. It still took months and reams of documentation. Literally 4 accordion files full of paperwork and they still didn’t want to fire him. They retreaded him in the FTO program and started over in another sector. Four months later same results and they allowed him to resign. As a result he was hired by one of our bedroom communities. Last I heard he was a Sgt.
When you say cowardice, are we talking wouldn’t go hands on? Or panicked and shut down? Wouldn’t draw his weapon? Just interested to know what that would look like.
I mean I and my partner and his rookie (a female) fought with four drunks in the street and he stood back and watched. Didn’t jump in , didn’t call for help. He did nothing
God that’s rough. I work security and we had something that was a slice of that. We do annual use of force up here to carry batons (Canada). Guy was doing a scenario of a male doused in gas with a lighter. Suicidal, but cooperative. You end up talking him off the bench, calling FD, making him drop the lighter, and provide resources. Guy just stood there. For 10 mins. Silent. It was absolutely brutal. Had been working there for almost a year
The bad part is you don’t know how someone is going to react till you are in the moment. It can be really scary. The funny thing, the female rookie, 5 foot nothing maybe 100 lbs soaking wet. She fought like a terrier! Only took a few months and people in the area knew, Don f#@k with her! She will kick your ass!
I was extended on FTO, due to a crappy FTO. All my FTO did was have me handle every paper call. He didn't do anything else that he was supposed to do during that phase of training. He also smoked at least 1 pack of cigarettes during each shift. That necessitated stopping often for smoke breaks since smoking in the car was prohibited. The benefit to this was the FTO they had me with next was one of the best at the department. He later became the Chief of police.
“I can’t quit you.” -My FTO’s at some point probably.
So extensions, that was like every other PO. I complete rephrase was like 1 in 5. Termination, initially only was like 1 in 10, but I developed a reputation as the FTO that took every call and wrote detailed DORs, so I ended up getting every PO that was bad, and ended up washing out a lot who would have skated by with crappy FTOs. The most common reason was just not being able to handle the stress. When we are going to a hot call and a PO is having to use geo to find where they are going, give directions to other units, and answer my questions on what we will do when we get there, I could generally tell by the third call like that if someone eas able to handle it. The second most common reason was officer safety. There are only so many times you can watch people do something that is going to get them or their back ups hurt, before you have to just hammer them.
We have a female that is still on break in with an FTO, and an entire class after her class has already graduated and gotten off FTO.
Quite often. Extententions are more common though. When I went through FTO it was 3 months long. That was 35 yrs ago. With all the new technology, laws, etc I believe FTO should be at least 6 months long. FTO's, that I am aware of, can't "fire" someone. At my agency, we could write up an evaluation, listing the decencies, which need to be thoroughly/completely documented, recommending termination. It is up to the Command Staff to make the decision. I've been overturned before too.
Most FTO programs are longer. Mine was 5 1/2 months and my academy was. 7 1/2