IPMBA News Vol. 26 No. 1 Winter 2017
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Product Guide Training Matters. Get the Best. Bike Medics Bring Speedy by Maureen Becker Executive Director Emergency Care to Patients he 27th Annual IPMBA Conference is just a few months by Jenni Bergal away, and the members of the City of Delaware Police Pew Charitable Trusts Stateline This article was posted on January 30, 2017, at Department and the Ohio Wesleyan University http://tinyurl.com/PEWEMSArticle Department of Public Safety are busily preparing for IPMBA’s first campus-based conference. hen actress Carrie Fisher suffered cardiac arrest near the end of a flight to Los Angeles just The venue change has driven other changes, such as the timing before Christmas, some of the first emergency (late spring instead of early spring), the accommodations medical crews to arrive on the scene were on two (residence halls in addition to hotel rooms), and meeting space wheels: medics on bicycles who helped resuscitate the (bona fide “smart” classrooms rather than multi-use function “Star Wars” star. rooms), amongst others described in more detail on page 35. The Los Angeles Fire Department’s Bicycle Medic What has not changed is the commitment to offering the best, Team is one of hundreds of bicycle-riding emergency most complete training for public safety cyclists. medical teams in big cities such as Boston and While it is possible to attend IPMBA courses offered Philadelphia and small ones such as Cody, Wyoming, throughout the year and across the country, the IPMBA that deliver quick emergency care by darting in and out Conference is the only large-scale gathering of public safety of heavy traffic, maneuvering through large crowds or cyclists. It is the only event during which one can choose from cutting across park land more nimbly than a crew in an courses ranging from operator to instructor as well as ambulance. specialized topics. It is the only event during which one can “Sometimes, every second counts with these situations,” choose from a wide array of mission- said Maureen Becker, executive director of the … the IPMBA and interest-driven workshops designed International Police Mountain Bike Association, a to further both personal and professional nonprofit that trains and certifies public safety cyclists. Conference is development. And it is the only event the only that affords an opportunity to experience (Continued on page 38) large-scale the latest products and technological developments in the field of public gathering of safety cycling. public safety The importance of basic bicycle training Board of Directors .....................................................36 cyclists. has only increased as police departments Conference News ......................................................35-36 seek ways to improve police-community relations and EMS agencies seek ways to more quickly deliver Corporate Members...................................................23 life-saving care. Instructor Corner .......................................................33 At the same time, more agencies are (finally!) starting to Issue Focus: Product Guide ......................................5-25 recognize the practicality, versatility, and effectiveness of Blauer ..................................................................12 Bicycle Response Teams and the need to train specifically for Bontrager ION 800 and Flare R Lights ..................18 crowd operations. Bicycle Response Team Training will be EE 750 ..................................................................9 offered, and so will Cleveland RNC Preparation, Planning, and Five Ten Impact Low ............................................11 Handling, a workshop presented by Captain Thomas Mandzak Interbike 2016: Fostering Relationships ................5 of the Cleveland Police Department Bicycle Unit. The first- .................................7 ever, invitation-only Bicycle Response Team Roundtable will MOCEAN Summit Pants .......................................10 bring together the leaders in the field to share experiences and Product Purchase Program ...................................19-23 advance best practices for training and operations. SCS Rack ..............................................................14 Venues change. Content changes. Priorities change. What Serfas TSL Police Lighting .....................................16 remains constant is IPMBA’s commitment to training you. Supplier Listing .....................................................24-25 Training DOES matter. Make sure you get the best. Member News ...........................................................27-30 IPMBA NEWS, VOL. 26, NO. 1 1 ...................................................2 PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Public Safety Cycling and the Age of Social Media very language, cadence, tone, volume and For all of their challenges, the Chicago succeeding facial expression can profoundly alter the Police Department has taken an innovative generation meaning of verbal expression, and that the step that may improve interpersonal brings forth absence of these cues can easily lead to communication. Every recruit goes new talents, driving misunderstanding. through bike patrol training (albeit the need to evolve so One of the challenges of training new as not to fall behind hires is fostering an effective and stagnate. From communication style that helps them solve How, then, do we interact with and the “Greatest the problems that we face with those we train a generation that has Generation” to “Baby serve. Whether you call it “Verbal Judo”, become accustomed to Boomers” to “De-escalation”, or “Crisis Intervention”, communicating in 144 characters “Gen-X-ers” to these problem-solving skills are critical to “Millennials”, we successfully and safely performing our look to incorporate the best of each new various missions. It has always taken time abbreviated) in the academy and is likely generation while trying to preserve what to develop the confidence to effectively to be assigned bike patrol duties after we value of the previous. use these skills and to find a personal completing field training. The Public safety personnel in management communication style that fits. approachable nature of officers on bike patrol, the less formal uniforms, and the and training have had to adapt to the How, then, do we interact with and train a strengths and limitations of those brought increased citizen contact likely on bike generation that has become accustomed to patrol, can possibly serve as a form of up with differing perspectives. The communicating in 144 characters (or less), generation before mine grumbled at the personal communication immersion that with arcane (at least to us) abbreviations may more quickly hone this vital skill. way we chafed at the rigid paramilitary (OMG, LOL, WTF!), while structure that had worked so smoothly for employing little symbols Public safety cycling has a long history of them. My generation wondered how the with ambiguous meanings? success in bringing together agencies and profession would survive with a work citizens in positive ways. In light of this ethic that seemed to be less career- A good friend, and police chief, in the potential, it is important to consider more oriented than ours. The rise of technology Chicago suburbs has made development of than technical cycling skill when selecting and discomfort with the resulting changes this vital skill an integral part of the field new public safety cyclists. An threatened to leave many of us behind, training process. The entire shift is understanding their role as emmissaries reminiscing about “traditional police required to spend coffee and lunch breaks and the communication skills required work” accomplished without reliance on with each new officer to both encourage should also be a part of the selection technology at our fingertips. and assess his or her ability to criteria. communicate interpersonally. Most Even those of us who have worked hard to respond fairly well to this immersion, but As public safety cyclists and instructors, it embrace advancing technology are being some struggle to adapt. Those who have is important to recognize our role in tested in unexpected ways. Social media, difficulty are made aware that this is a moving the profession forward. The depth in its ever-changing forms, has become the critical feature of the required training and and breadth of our connection to the dominant communication media of our that they must improve to be retained. Not communities that we serve can make all most recent first responders. These all have succeeded. the difference in the success or failure of additional modes of communication have our mission. Effective communication is resulted in an overall increase in To read – and hear – about a similar necessary to foster understanding, leading connection and communication, even on a approach to teaching officers interpersonal to greater mutual trust, making us all safer global scale. Yet this increase has been at skills, visit “In Social Media Age, Young in the process. the expense of direct interpersonal contact, Cops Get Trained For Real-Life reducing the time we confer face-to-face Conversation”, at and limiting the depth of the understanding that can come with personal contact. It is vital to understand that body For your copy call Toll free: (800) 832-0034 Switchboard: (978) 443-5000 Customer service: ext. 8197 Online: www.jblearning.com Made possible through the support of Mocean, manufacturers $41.95 • Paperback • 264 Pages • © 2008 of technical law enforcement