INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Law enforcement agencies from Indian River County and the surrounding area have a new place to go for training and advanced classes, next door to the county shooting range on County Road 512 between Sebastian and Fellsmere.
Being practically in the backyard of both Fellsmere and Sebastian’s police departments and not far from the Sheriff’s Office, the new center might help cut travel time and costs for some – if not all – law enforcement officers.
Capt. John Burdock, of the Sheriff’s Office, said the new facility will offer different kinds of training all in one place, something not currently offered at other training centers.
Officers can participate in tactical training, force-on-force training, simulated shooting, low-light shooting simulations, as well as use of a simulation building outfitted with a mock bar, a mock house, and a mock office. There is a self-resetting breach door trainees can use to hone their skills in breaking into barricaded spaces. The door can be pried, cut, smashed, and more – and then, as easily as opening an unlocked door, be reset.
“It’s very unique,” Capt. Burdock said of the facility, noting that to get all those types of training in, officers would have to go to multiple sites – costing time. “It will save us.”
The facility was not built or financed by any of the local law enforcement agencies, nor by the County, nor by taxpayers.
Instead, it is a private endeavor taken on by Team One Network and RedMan Training Gear in partnership with Macho Martial Arts, which owns the space in the industrial park off 102nd Terrace.
“There are so many officers trying to get training time,” Team One Network president John Meyer said, explaining his reasoning behind providing the space. He noted, and Capt. Burdock agreed, that even though there are other locations for training, those locations fill up fast and are difficult to reserve time.
This facility, like the others, would be available to all law enforcement – not just Indian River County – but would help accommodate the ever-growing need for training.
The facility itself is available at little or no cost – like other centers – so long as the law enforcement agency provides its own certified training instructor and tools. Officers who want to take part in any of Team One Network’s advanced training courses would be required to pay tuition.
“Better-trained deputies make better decisions,” Capt. Burdock said, adding that better decisions make for a safer community.
Sebastian Police Department Operations Commander John Blackledge concurs that the center will not only provide officers with more and better opportunities for training, but will also save the department money.
He said he can see the Sebastian Police Department sending officers to the center to re-learn habits – for instance, drawing and holstering a firearm. Cmdr. Blackledge said officers develop what is frequently called muscle memory – but when equipment changes, that muscle memory needs to be retrained.
Using the simulated firing range, officers can practice drawing their weapon and putting it on target without the expense of firing bullets. The simulator not only records whether the officers are accurate in their shooting, but also how long it takes them to fire. It also video records them, providing further feedback on their skills and abilities.
“We are extremely appreciative” of the new facility, Cmdr. Blackledge said. He expects Sebastian Police to make use of the center frequently, as much as a couple times each month.
“Sebastian has a strong background in training,” he said, adding that such training is an essential ingredient to having a quality agency.
The more realistic the training, the better trained the officers will be, he said.
“They have given quite a prize to the local law enforcement,” Cmdr. Blackledge said of Team One Network and RedMan. “This is a great resource for us to have to keep our officers safe.”