Training Section
The Polk County Sheriff's Office training function is headquartered at the
Burnham-McCall Training Center is located at 2201 Old Bartow-Eagle Lake
Road, Bartow, FL, 33830. The center includes
administrative offices, class-rooms, and training areas for the Emergency
Response Team, the Canine Unit, an agility course, and ranges for various
weaponry training.
A Lieutenant is responsible for the daily administration of the Training
Section and overseeing all facilities and equipment. The Training Section
has two sergeants assigned, one from the Department of Law Enforcement and
one from the Department of Detention. One sergeant is responsible for the
daily administrative tasks, while the other sergeant serves as the agency’s
range master. Both sergeants assist with the planning and implementation of
training programs. The secretary assigned to the section provides
administrative assistance for the lieutenant and Sergeants while
simultaneously providing direction and leadership to the clerical staff.
Additionally, there are five agency members assigned as training
coordinators, two deputy sheriffs, two detention deputies, and one civilian.
They are involved in coordinating the Street Training Evaluation Program,
Detention Deputy Training Evaluation Program, Detective Training Evaluation
Program, Sheriff’s Service Officer Training Program, and Management Training
Programs. The coordinators, as subject matter experts, are involved with
various subjects including high-liability training, which consists of
firearms, defensive tactics, and emergency vehicle operation. The civilian
coordinator is responsible for ensuring that the agency complies with all
rules, regulations, and policies concerning the use of the Florida Crime
Information Center and National Crime Information Center by computer access.
This coordinator also conducts extensive training and testing concerning the
capabilities and use of this system.
The coordinators are supported by clerical staff that schedule courses,
process registrations, and make travel arrangements when necessary. The
clerical staff also maintains records of all agency members’ completed
training. An in-house schedule of courses, external training that is
offered, as well as training announcements and bulletins is made available
for viewing on the agency’s Intranet by the Training Section’s clerical
staff.
In addition to providing training for agency members, the agency makes the
range and facilities available for use by law enforcement and corrections
academies as well as advanced and specialized training conducted by the Kenneth C. Thompson
Institute of Public Safety, Polk Community College. The facilities are also
utilized by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement
Administration, United States Coast Guard, National Guard, and other
military entities. Additionally, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement,
Florida Highway Patrol, and other state law enforcement agencies, coupled
with local municipalities, utilize the Training Center’s accommodations on a
routine basis.
The training section also
develops and maintains the agency's online training
program. The online training allows agency members to
complete required training at their assigned location
and at a time that is more convenient to them.
Additionally, the SROVT (Solid Realistic Ongoing
Verifiable Training) program is coordinated through the
training section and host on the agency's intranet site.
SROVT allows the agency's members and supervisor to
interact and learn through discussions using actual
events to emplhasize the agency's policies and
procedures, as was as the most recent court rulings.
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