HILLSDALE—The police department in July acquired a firearms training simulator that provides “holistic and immersive” scenarios for officers to hone their skills and obtain at least half of their annual “active shooter” training in the borough.
Capt. Sean Smith told Pascack Press that the department landed its MILO 5 Pro firearms training simulator with proceeds from seizure forfeiture funds reimbursed to the department, at no cost to taxpayers.
“The sky’s the limit with this in terms of scenarios for training,” Smith said. “We want to let the community know what we’re doing with this. This should really comfort the community and we’re doing this training right here at home. It’s very, very cool.”
He said the simulator is programmed with approximately 1,000 scenarios that a police officer might encounter on patrol. A typical scenario might include a traffic stop, with an armed individual, and the officer seeing an apparent gun on the passenger side.
Scenarios also highlight “the signs and symptoms of mental illness, developmental disabilities, and cognitive deficits,” promotional materials say.
Smith said the scenarios can be customized with “local” venues, including at area schools. Police have already recorded video at Pascack Valley High School for training.
How the officer responds and whether he or she uses lethal force, and whether the item is a gun or not all play into a variety of scenarios. Smith said many of the scenarios deal with situations that involve police de-escalation techniques, where de-escalation is possible.
MILO materials online, listed as media and community talking points, say, “Almost every scenario with armed engagements includes a ‘compliance’ for successful de-escalation. In the MILO system, an ‘OK officer, I’ll go with you’ response is an example of a win.”
And they say, “The MILO product line is developed on research, not trends. A doctor of educational technology is part of the full-time staff, partnering with neuroscientists and behavioral experts to continually research and assess implementation. The team further includes former law enforcement officers, military officers and NCO’s, and a wide range of technical staff to round out the advisory process.
As well, the materials say, “MILO recognizes a holistic approach to training by offering technological methods to engage the parasympathetic nervous system. This ensures the officer doesn’t return to duty after intense training sessions without a nervous system ‘recalibration.’ It also means a healthier, more resilient officer.”
Smith said the asset simulates firearms comparable to those in service in the borough, including their recoil, and allows officers to train for split-second reactions.
Police Chief Robert Francaviglia told Pascack Press that officers will train on the simulator monthly. He noted it allows for officers to encounter compliant and non-compliant subjects while on patrol and how to prepare for such encounters.
He noted scenarios often call for de-escalation techniques and non-lethal force methods, such as communication, Mace, tasers, flashlights, and batons.
Smith said that having the firearms simulator will save travel time to the county police academy for training and provide a resource for officers not previously available. He said officers can fulfill eight of the 16 mandatory “active shooter” training required annually by using the firearms training simulator in Hillsdale.
“It’s a real privilege for a small police department to have a training scenario like this. It’s a very realistic tool,” said Smith. He added that the simulator adds a lot of safety to firearms training.
He said recently town administrator Michael Ghassali, who also is Montvale’s mayor, had a chance to use the simulator and liked it.
He said once officers receive training on it, there can be other uses for it, such as generating revenue or shared-service arrangements with nearby police departments.
Francaviglia said that the department hopes to host an event to allow residents to view the training tool, and plans to offer local officials an opportunity to experience it. This will demonstrate the variety of situations officers may face during a routine day.
“The bottom line is that it’s a lot more than a great tool for the officers,” said Francaviglia, noting its potential uses for community relations and public education.
The simulator company’s website notes, “Every officer is expected to walk into an emergency and make the right call. But a high-stress environment naturally constricts our perspective and limits our ability to reason beyond the moment. Immersive, emotionally vivid MILO simulations prepare officers to identify, process, and comprehend information about how to respond to any situation, whether it requires the use of their firearm or not.”
It adds, “But the focus isn’t just on shooting skills because force won’t always be the right choice. Instead, MILO offers scenario-based police training that requires the trainee to choose the appropriate tactic, whether or not that requires the use of a weapon.”