Taking IT training on the road

A unique ‘training’ bus has been made available to other forces following more than a decade’s success in offering ICT training ‘on the go’ to police officers in Avon and Somerset Constabulary.

The single-decker vehicle caters for eight learners, including disabled access, plus one workstation for the trainer, in a user-friendly environment. In addition, there is a 40in LCD screen with two complementary monitors installed to enable all learners to view demonstrations from any position within the bus.

The mobile classroom is also equipped with a printer together with air conditioning and heating systems to ensure a comfortable environment.

The constabulary initially leased a coach from a commercial company when it rolled-out its new IT initiative in 2001. Its success prompted the force to purchase and convert its own bus that was fitted out to meet its own specifications to make ICT training more efficient and cost-effective.

It is now being made available to hire by other forces.

Karen Lyle, ICT training manager at the constabulary, said: “The purchase and conversion took approximately 18 months but since that time, the use of the bus has increased every year. The force area stretches from Yeovil in Somerset in the south, to Yate in South Gloucestershire in the north, and covers an area of approximately 1,855 square miles with a population of 1.6 million, so the bus is easy to move around.

“Although the bus is designed primarily for IT training, it could also be used to provide a venue for delivering presentations using a computer at locations where no suitable room is available. The bus is powered by 2 x 240v 50mm diameter plugs, similar to those used by caravans and should be parked on a secure site.”

She added that although at first the force took a while to grasp the concept, with some officers complaining that it was uncomfortable, new seats were installed and the initiative has proved to be very successful.

Savings have been made in areas such as officers’ travel allowance and time spent getting to training. There is no longer the need to travel to police headquarters for ICT training as the mobile bus travels across the force area. In addition, the bus is often left overnight on-site giving officers access to e-learning and other ICT training courses.

“Officers were a bit wary of the initiative when it first began, but we have since seen it become very popular,” explained Ms Lyle. “As far as we are aware, no other force in the country has a similar bus and with ICT training becoming a high priority within forces, we have been very busy. Some courses can last for five days, but we still have classes in force buildings, with the bus offering another flexible and effective option,”

Avon and Somerset Constabulary also has the Hydra training simulator suite installed at its headquarters in Portishead, which provides an immersive learning scenario that is as close to the real thing as possible. The suite can simulate virtually any incident or scenario using video, audio, photographs or printed material. Learning can take place anywhere within the force, as well as across other forces. Past sessions using the mobile suite have included roads policing training for Hampshire Constabulary at its training school in Fareham.

The force also uses 10,000 Volts, a hi-tech tool designed for analysing critical incident decision-making to inform operational de-briefing, including multi-agency activity. The system enables debriefing data from an incident or a Hydra session to be captured using software that allows all officers present to record their views anonymously onto a laptop. Input is then displayed on a screen for everyone to view. Any number of networked laptops can be used in a session and can be set up at any location.

For further details about hiring the bus or other facilities, such as classrooms or the lecture theatre that can seat 150 delegates at Avon and Somerset Police HQ, contact Karen Lyle on 0127