Field Training Officer
Encyclopedia
A Field Training Officer (FTO) is an experienced or senior member of an organization who is responsible for the training and evaluation of a junior or probationary level member. The role is used extensively in law enforcement
, fire departments, and emergency medical services
.
) before performing field training duties for the department they work for.
A new trainee is usually only allowed to work with an FTO for a predetermined amount of time, or until the field training staff determines that they are ready to work on their own. Field training for police officers typically lasts 12 to 18 weeks, In some instances the trainee may work for a short amount of time prior to attending a formal training/certification program. During this time the FTO may complete part or the majority of the FTO program and then complete the remaining upon completion of the certification process.
It is also not unusual for a trainee to have multiple field training officers that they rotate around to. For instance, in some law enforcement agencies a trainee may spend several weeks on each shift or in each specialty area of a department, during which time they could have multiple FTOs.
, clearly communicating the expectations of training, teaching the trainee the policies of the department, correctly applying concepts learned in the classroom to field training operations, and evaluating the trainee on his or her progress in the program. Ultimately, the FTO is responsible for making sure shift duties are performed properly and completely.
” in FTO’s is a fairly recent development. Burnout can begin as loss of interest in a task or boredom. Eventually, if left untreated, burnout can result in loss of productivity, low morale, substance abuse, and mental illness.
It is not known whether burnout affects FTO’s more than regular employees. Considering that an FTO not only performs his or her normal work tasks, but also the tasks of a trainer, it would stand to reason that FTO’s would be particularly subject to the effect.
Many agencies and profession-related articles have begun to formally address the effect.
as opposed to hiring professional corporate trainers from outside the company.
Law enforcement organisation
A law enforcement organisation is an organisation of parties, either individuals or other organisations or both, associated with law enforcement, typically with some common interest....
, fire departments, and emergency medical services
Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services are a type of emergency service dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient, or the medical practitioner, believes constitutes a medical emergency...
.
Qualifications
Field training officers usually receive specialized classroom training and certification to meet state requirements (such as POST, TCLEOSE or EMTEmergency medical technician
Emergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...
) before performing field training duties for the department they work for.
Function
It is also not unusual for a trainee to have multiple field training officers that they rotate around to. For instance, in some law enforcement agencies a trainee may spend several weeks on each shift or in each specialty area of a department, during which time they could have multiple FTOs.
Duties
The duties of the FTO involve being a role modelRole model
The term role model generally means any "person who serves as an example, whose behaviour is emulated by others".The term first appeared in Robert K. Merton's socialization research of medical students...
, clearly communicating the expectations of training, teaching the trainee the policies of the department, correctly applying concepts learned in the classroom to field training operations, and evaluating the trainee on his or her progress in the program. Ultimately, the FTO is responsible for making sure shift duties are performed properly and completely.
Burnout
Addressing the concept of “burnoutBurnout (psychology)
Burnout is a psychological term for the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest. Research indicates general practitioners have the highest proportion of burnout cases; according to a recent Dutch study in Psychological Reports, no less than 40% of these experienced high levels of...
” in FTO’s is a fairly recent development. Burnout can begin as loss of interest in a task or boredom. Eventually, if left untreated, burnout can result in loss of productivity, low morale, substance abuse, and mental illness.
It is not known whether burnout affects FTO’s more than regular employees. Considering that an FTO not only performs his or her normal work tasks, but also the tasks of a trainer, it would stand to reason that FTO’s would be particularly subject to the effect.
Many agencies and profession-related articles have begun to formally address the effect.
Industry
The role of FTO is also common among large corporations who elect to develop their own trainersTrainer (business)
Trainers work in many different areas, mainly educating employees of companies on specific topics of workplace importance.Some trainers are in-house, and others work for training companies....
as opposed to hiring professional corporate trainers from outside the company.