“I Could See It Coming:” Training Safety Officer Key to Preventing Training Injuries

A training safety officer 

observes firearms training

in New Prague. 

Training safety continues to be a major concern for police departments across the country. There have recently been serious training incidents, including deaths, in California, Texas, and Florida. Before that there were incidents in Illinois, Georgia, Missouri, and Virginia, along with many other states as the list goes on and on to include Minnesota.

Police training needs to be as realistic as possible and, as a result, has become more intense and scenario based. Training needs to be realistic whether it is on the firing range, during defensive tactics training, or active shooter response training.  Training must closely match what officers do in real life as we have all heard the phrase, “You fight like you train, so you need to train like you fight.”  

But how can we train at a high level of intensity while minimizing injuries sustained during training? Most training injuries share one common trait: they could have been prevented. In other words, “If it’s predictable, it’s preventable.” Injuries can be prevented by adopting the core concept of using a training safety officer (TSO) who can intervene when they “see it coming” during active training.  

Training Injuries Are Costly

Training injuries currently make up about 12% of all police injury claims from departments insured by the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT), down from 22% when the TSO began. These injuries amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars in incurred costs yearly and average nearly $58,000 per claim. Training injuries have ranged from muscle strains and broken bones to heart attacks and even gunshot injuries. The leading causes of police training injuries have been found to be related to body temperature, the use of wrestling mats, and “off-script behavior.” Training safety education addresses each of these main causes of training injuries.  

TSO Program Teaches How to Predict Problems, Prevent Injuries

Blaine Police Department
on Sept. 26.

Several times a year, including recently at the Blaine Police Department, LMCIT offers training safety officer classes, and as part of that training, reviews incidents and accidents that have occurred during training nationwide. The TSO concept builds on the theory that we can be trained to predict problems and take appropriate steps to prevent an accident.  

The TSO program involves teaching the six program steps:

• Planning meeting
• Developing a safety plan
• Site inspection and set-up
• Safety briefing
• Observation and use of role players (when applicable)
• After-action review (which can show you where to improve your training) 

These six steps provide a framework to build upon as police departments plan their own training sessions to address their individual department’s needs.  

The TSO training includes a review of an IACP Research Study that found the use of a “safety lecture” or briefing before training can reduce the chances of an injury by 41%. Additionally, instilling a “culture of safety” within your training program is of utmost importance. The TSO training stresses that certain groups are more likely to experience injuries, including officers in their first five years on the job and officers who are overweight or not physically fit. The training emphasizes the importance of developing an internal wellness and fitness program for your agency, providing informational resources and guidance on fitness and nutrition, and creating an incentive program for officers who participate and engage in healthy habits.     

A key to the TSO concept is the teamwork between the safety officer and the instructor. The TSO provides the oversight, control, and guidance while working with the instructor to ensure all trainees have a professional and safe experience. The TSO program is offered to both police and fire departments across the Minnesota, and we thank the Blaine Police Department for sponsoring our most recent training class and for being an early adopter of the TSO program. It was quite evident that the Blaine Police Department follows their core values of serving their community and department members with "integrity, respect, and professionalism.”

TSO Program Expands Nationwide

Rob Boe instructing the TSO program
to a national training group during the
early years of the program.

Rob Boe, former LMCIT public safety project coordinator, developed the TSO program for Minnesota police and fire departments more than 10 years ago. In 2015, Boe attended the National PRIMA Conference and accepted a first-place Outstanding Achievement Award for the Intergovernmental Risk Pool Program category for his development of the TSO program. The core concepts of the program are now taught across the nation, including in Virginia, Texas, Georgia, Kentucky, and New York.  

This video by the Kentucky League of Cities, which recently adopted the program, outlines the key components of a successful TSO program and discusses the need for and benefits of a formal officer safety program for injury prevention during training exercises. It is believed that the TSO program has prevented many training accidents from occurring across the United States and we thank Rob for his many contributions to our police and fire departments across the state! Additional details on the program can be found at lmc.org/tso.

If you have any comments or questions related to the TSO program, you may contact me at tstille@lmc.org or (651) 215-4051. 

In the meantime, stay safe!    

Tracy