Tommorrow I start FTO Phase One

[Matthew C.]

Just wanted to let everyone know that I made it through my department orientation and tommorrow I will start FTO on swing shift. I am extremely excited and a little nervous. But after 20 weeks of academics I am ready to hit the streets and start applying all of the knowledge running through my head. I will try an post updates (more frequently than my academy thread) and keep everyone up to date. I found out that my Phase One FTO is a 29 year veteran with our department and very squared away so, I am pretty amp'd about being asigned to him. Well I have a uniform to press and boots to shine.

Matthew C.

[gcc123]

GOOD LUCK TOMORROW, AND KEEP US POSTED ON HOW IT WAS, AND THE REST OF YOUR PROGRESS...WAY TO GO MATT!!

[BVG819]

Remember, SIT IN THE FRONT ROW during roll call! ;) Good luck and have fun!

[Badge11]

Good luck to you! Youre starting off on a good shift too.
BVG819 made a good point, unfortunatly I found out the hard way=)

[bigz]

Good luck with your first day. It sounds like you got a good FTO to start with. The guys that have been doing this for along time have probably seen every rookie mistake there is, so he should be pretty easy going. Stay safe!

Z

[CO_Hopeful]

Good luck Matt. I am very interested in hearing how your first few days go, as I'll be in the same boat before long. I'm also interested in what your orientation was like. Is it just paperwork and HR stuff?

Be safe, and have fun!

[Matthew C.]

Well,
I just finished reading my daily reading assignment and am starting to get ready to head into the PD. Wouldn't you know that it started snowing last night and we have a nice light coating of snow! This should make the first day interesting.

Thank you everyone for the well wishes.

CO_Hopeful orientation basicly covered a lot of municipal issues, some arrest control techniques we use but the county does not teach because they are not authorixed to use them (brachioal <SP> stun etc..), Report writing, department forms and proceedures.

Matthew C.

[CO_Hopeful]

Hmmmm.....did you have a "mini-academy" with your PD? We have a week of orientation, and then a 6 week mini-academy which I thought would cover the specific municipal issues, report writing, etc.

Your comment about the snow made me chuckle.....as I'm about 2 miles from where you'll be working, and it was a nightmare this morning. By the time it gets dark, you'll have all sorts of fun.

Give us a post tomorrow to let us know how it went. I want ALL the details.

[Matthew C.]

Well my first two days were fantastic! I found out that the first week of our FTO is considered limbo. You pretty much ride along in full uniform and observe without taking any real action (unless the shit hits the fan).

My FTO was sick for both days so I rode with another Officer. There is a bug running through our department right now that has taken down about a third of our officers. The officer I rode with is also an FTO so I was in good hands.

Our call load the first day was fantastic. Pretty much back to back calls all night. I observed everything and actually got to hook up and pat down my first arrestee. Talk about a rush! Thankfully for the most part the snow was all off the streets by the time I started shift so it wasn't to nasty. We handled a roomate dispute, a cold theft from a pawn shop that resulted in an arrest when we showed up at the guys house (he was a regular at the pawn shop), a DUI, a noise complaint/loud party that resulted in three arrest for FTA warrants, and a cold theft report. During the whole time the officer I was riding with was quizing me on geography and radio proceedures and codes. I did pretty good, always knew where I was and the two time he asked actually provided the quickest way to get to a call.

Day two was a little bit slower. Started off with a civil assist, handled a drunk that wandered into traffic and got hit by a car, nailed a lady for child abuse and responded as a cover car to a robbery in progress. The shift ended up early for me when out of know where this bug thats running through the department nailed the officer I was riding with. So, he went home about two hours early. I stayed at the department and read some of my mandatory reading for about 2 hours and then called it a night.

I also started writing sumaries of all the calls we went on and the officer I was with said I have a pretty good writing style and that deffinetly puts me one step ahead.

Last night I also hit records and pulled and coppied some reports from some of our really talented officers that write exceptionaly well. I figure I will read through those and try and adopt some of their techniques.

CO_Hopeful
They kind of run a combined mini-academy/orientation program. It last for two and a 1/2 weeks and then you start FTO. We covered report writing and arrest control, ethics, DV, DUI, Intoxalizer, and firearms. Your FTO works with you to make sure you know all of the muni codes etc.

Well this ends my update I am off for the next three days and hopefully come monday my FTO will be better and I will hit the streets with him.

Be Safe out their,
Matthew C.

[CO_Hopeful]

Matt,

Thanks for the update. Would you please try to get on weekly and give us an overview of how your week went? I for one thoroughly enjoy seeing how it works in your first few weeks/months.

Stay safe.

[relative]

Would love to have you keep us updated, good stuff and thanks again...

-r.

[tpcop007]

keep up the good work and please keep us posted.......the info you post is very helpful to those who are po hopefuls

[gibby11]

Good Job!! You have a great attitude and steady work habits... I am about 1-month into FTO, it is humbling (to not know ANYTHING..) but fun at the same time..

keep us posted!

gibby