National Association of Field Training Officers

National Conference

The 2025 national Conference will be held from Wednesday June 4th to Friday June 6th at the Hyatt Regency, in Indianapolis, IN.

 
Register Here

Registration | Lodging | What to Expect | Itinerary

What to Expect | Meet Your Instructors | Itinerary

Registration | Lodging | Sponsors | What to Expect | Meet Your Instructors  | Fundraiser  | Itinerary

NAFTO is proud to offer some outstanding training at our 2025 3-Day National Conference in Indianapolis, IN. This year’s training is specifically designed for Field Trainers working in Patrol, Detention, Communications, and Emergency Medicine. NAFTO is working to prepare your Field Training Unit for the challenges of 21st Century Policing by providing comprehensive and client-oriented curriculum. This year, NAFTO presents course topics including Constitutional Policing, 21st Century Policing, Communication, Remedial Training, Standardization, Interpersonal Skills, Emotional Intelligence, Instructor Development, Reducing Liability, and Program Defensibility.
This announcement serves as a Save The Date for early registration savings. Specific speaker and topic details will be added soon.

Highlights

General Session presentation by special guest Anthony Bandiero (Blue To Gold Training)

Anthony Bandiero is the Senior Legal Instructor for Blue to Gold Law Enforcement Training. He is also a Nationally Certified Instructor, and many consider him to be one of the best legal instructors in the nation. He has studied constitutional law for over twenty years and has taught search and seizure to over 30,000 officers around the country. Before teaching search and seizure full-time, Anthony was a sergeant with the Nevada Highway Patrol in Las Vegas, Nevada. His assignments included traffic enforcement, emergency driving instructor, and training supervisor. Anthony also has experience as a municipal officer with the Elko Police Department. Anthony’s education includes a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Harvard University. He graduated from Gonzaga School of Law in Spokane, Washington, and is a practicing member of the Washington and New Jersey State Bar.

instructor teaching an FTO class at the national conference

Breakout Sessions Offered

11 Breakout session topics and 2 panel discussions will include: Instructor Development, Deficient Trainees, Communication, Training Mindset, Health & Wellness, Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Coaching & Mentoring, Cognitive Learning, Contemporary Training Needs, and Case Law Updates.

Registration

There is a 3 tiered registration calendar this year. This fee includes a 1-year NAFTO membership/renewal, 3 breakfasts, and 3 catered lunches. Questions can be e-mailed to director@nafto.org

Registration Tiers Dates NAFTO Members Non-NAFTO Members
Early Bird Registration
10/14/24 – 01/31/2025
$470
$495
Regular Registration
02/01/25 – 04/30/2025
$525
$550
Late Registration
05/01/25 – 05/16/2025
$570
$595

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED. 

Register Here

Lodging

LODGING IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ATTENDEES.

The Hyatt is offering an amazing room rate of $189.00/night, and we have a room block of 130 rooms per night. Last year we sold out of rooms. Don’t wait to make your reservation! To make reservations over the phone at the hotel, use group code “GNAFT”.

Early Conference Check-In Begins Tuesday, June 3rd, at 1800 Hours, on the 2nd floor, in the event space area.

Questions can be e-mailed to director@nafto.org

Reserve a Room

What to Expect

Justin Witt’s Baquet Speech at the 2022 Conference

Meet Your Instructors

Guest Speakers

General Session Presentations

Dr. Mike Knetzger

General Session Presentation

Police Use of Force Through the Lens: Examining Video Recorded Use of Force Incidents

Dr. Mike Knetzger served as a Wisconsin law enforcement officer for nearly 30-years and retired in 2022 as a patrol sergeant with the Green Bay Police Department (GBPD). Dr. Knetzger spent 10-years on the SWAT team as a chemical munitions operator, 15-years as a training unit member, and 20-years as a field training officer. Dr. Knetzger is a certified Department of Justice Unified Tactical Trainer/Instructor, Wisconsin Technical College Instructor, and has been teaching part-time for the past 22-years for Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC).  Dr. Knetzger teaches in the criminal justice program, police academy, and specialized law enforcement topics.  Dr. Knetzger is also affiliated with doctoral level programs at CTUonline.  Dr. Knetzger has an associate degree in police science (Waukesha County Technical College), bachelor’s degree in justice & public policy (Concordia University – Wisconsin), master’s degree in public administration (University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh), and a doctoral degree in criminal justice management (Colorado Technical University). Dr. Knetzger’s published dissertation is “A Qualitative Study Exploring Proper Management of Video Recorded Law Enforcement Use of Force Incidents” (Colorado Technical University, 2020).

This course provides LEOs, trainers, and managers with the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities to properly interpret video-recorded UOF incidents and leverage video to help improve, analyze, and interpret probationary officer performance, and reduce adverse outcomes.

Lewis “Von” Kliem, MCJ, JD, LL.M. & Lynn Westover

General Session Presentation

Decisions Under Pressure: Integrating Human Factors and Tactical Decision-Making in
Field Training

With over 30 years in the criminal justice profession, Von worked as a civilian police officer, attorney, educator, and author. He was a senior policy attorney for Lexipol and is currently the Director of Consulting and Executive Editor at Force Science.

 

As a litigation consultant, Von is involved in some of the most high-profile use-of-force cases in the U.S. and internationally. His team evaluates police practices, policy, law, and human factors in police decision-making and performance.

 

As a nationally recognized use-of-force expert, Von has presented training for the FBI LEEDS program, the U.S. Marshals, the American Counsel of Second Amendment Lawyers, the Use of Force Summit, the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Division, and countless local, state, and federal law enforcement officers, police executives, and attorneys.

 

As a lawyer, Von worked as a Senior Prosecutor, Police Legal Advisor, Senior Policy Attorney, Military Magistrate, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, Operational Law Attorney, Intelligence Law Attorney, and Domestic Operational Law Attorney. In addition to use-of-force law and constitutional policing, Von specialized in the response, investigation, and prosecution of family violence and sexual assault cases.

 

As an Army Judge Advocate (Retired), Von was recognized as an Expert Military Justice Practitioner and a highly sought-after police practices, investigations, and use-of-force legal expert. As a member of the Army Staff, he supported some of the Pentagon’s top attorneys and helped draft DoD and Army use-of-force policy.

 

Von is a graduate of the 17-week Force Science Advanced Specialist Course and the FLETC Police Legal Advisors Training Program. He holds a Bachelor’s in Crime and Delinquency Studies, a Master’s in Criminal Justice Administration, a Law Degree (J.D.), and a Master’s in Law post-graduate degree (LL.M.). Von is licensed to practice law in VA and KS.

Lynn Westover has over 20 years of experience in Intelligence & Counterterrorism, with 12 years in USMC Special Operations (Force Recon, Scout Sniper) and five combat tours between Iraq and Afghanistan (OIF, OEF). He is a Master Certified Formal School Instructor and Curriculum Developer who served as an instructor for the Combat Hunter, ASAT, SOFSAT, and IT-SAT programs. Lynn is also an evaluator for USASOC/NSW unnamed covert surveillance & counter-surveillance asymmetric operations.

This interactive session equips Field Training Officers (FTOs) with advanced tools to enhance decision-making under pressure. By integrating human factors and tactical frameworks, participants will learn to observe, analyze, and respond effectively to real-world scenarios. Using the B+A=D Decision-Making Algorithm and the Six Layers of Human

Behavior, the workshop enhances situational awareness, critical thinking, and articulation of decisions. Attendees will leave equipped to train officers-in-training (OITs) in rapid
tactical threat recognition and resilient decision-making.

Greg Zaroslinski

General Session Presentation

Effective Communication for Teaching the New Generation

Greg Zaroslinski is a renowned keynote speaker and performance life coach with a remarkable background in both the U.S. Military and the entrepreneurial world. Serving for more than 10 years in the military, Greg excelled in Joint Operations overseas before transitioning to a standout role in Navy Recruiting District Phoenix, where he was named Recruiter of the Year and finished as a top recruiter nationally in 2008 & 2009.

 

Shifting to entrepreneurship, Greg was recognized as the 2021 Entrepreneur of the Year and is an active member of the Entrepreneur Organization (EO). He has successfully founded several businesses while maintaining his passion for coaching and recruiting.

 

Greg’s interactive approach keeps his sessions educational and engaging, motivating attendees to act swiftly. Focusing on practical and tangible advice, he provides law enforcement professionals with actionable solutions, ensuring agencies are equipped for success. Addressing key leadership and organizational culture elements, Greg prompts leaders to rethink how they nurture and utilize human capital. His engaging presentations offer valuable insights and strategies for creating a positive, unified, and high-performing work environment.

 

Greg has given presentations/seminars for IACP, SEFTOA, Axon, Police 1, and numerous other Chiefs Associations. He also travels to agencies to train their personnel in best practices.

Generation Z, born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, value authenticity and prefer direct and immediate communication. To convince them to learn, you have to explain to them how what they are learning will be used in the line of duty. We all know that there is nothing better than a good story to captivate attention. Marketing experts have long understood the power of storytelling. FTOs should be equipped to do the same. It makes the Trainees experience unique and creates trust, respect, and a relationship between FTO and Trainee. Vulnerability about your highs and lows as an Officer does not make you less than any other Officer, it makes you more human and authentic, two notions that are very important and must be included when teaching Generation Z. Today’s FTOs must be willing to listen and adapt when teaching the new Generation. Gen Z wants those around them to know and care about how they feel and be willing to teach their style of learning.

 

This course will equip attendees to be better FTOs by helping them understand the differences in learning styles and emotional needs of Gen Z. Today’s Trainees grew up in a world where feelings matter and they are able to find out the “how and why” things are with a few keystrokes on a handheld device. By welcoming, listening to, and understanding this new generation and teaching to their needs, FTOs have the power to mold a generation of Officers that will be the best trained to Police in the 21st Century.

Dan Fraser

General Session Presentation

Methods of Instruction

Dan Fraser has spent over two decades in law enforcement in Alberta, Canada. He has trained thousands of officers in use of force, control tactics, firearms, specialty munitions and interpersonal communication. He is a Master Instructor and Canadian Director of Training for the Reality Based Training Association. As a Methods of Instruction trainer with Raptor Protection, he continues to train officers all over Canada in instructor development and human factors in use of force. Dan is author of the book, Kickass Presentations – Wow Audiences with PowerPoint Slides that Click, Humor that’s Quick and Messages that Stick. He can be reached at Dan@raptorprotection.com

Course Description TBA

Anthony Bandiero

General Session Presentation

Search & Seizure Doctrines Every FTO Must Know

Anthony Bandiero is the Senior Legal Instructor for Blue to Gold Law Enforcement Training. He is also a Nationally Certified Instructor, and many consider him to be one of the best legal instructors in the nation. He has studied constitutional law for over twenty years and has taught search and seizure to over 30,000 officers around the country. Before teaching search and seizure full-time, Anthony was a sergeant with the Nevada Highway Patrol in Las Vegas, Nevada. His assignments included traffic enforcement, emergency driving instructor, and training supervisor. Anthony also has experience as a municipal officer with the Elko Police Department. Anthony’s education includes a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Harvard University. He graduated from Gonzaga School of Law in Spokane, Washington, and is a practicing member of the Washington and New Jersey State Bar.

Tailored for Field Training Officers (FTOs), this high-energy class offers expertise in emerging areas, including the warrantless of curtilage, the nuances of search incident to arrests, the art of crafting effective reports, the legalities of pursuing hunches during traffic stops, and the use of drug canines without reasonable suspicion. This class is an indispensable tool for every FTO committed to ensuring their trainees don’t violate the constitution. 

Lynn Westover

General Session Presentation

The Six Layer Concept: Tactical Threat Recognition

Lynn Westover has over 20 years of experience in Intelligence & Counterterrorism, with 12 years in USMC Special Operations (Force Recon, Scout Sniper) and five combat tours between Iraq and Afghanistan (OIF, OEF). He is a Master Certified Formal School Instructor and Curriculum Developer who served as an instructor for the Combat Hunter, ASAT, SOFSAT, and IT-SAT programs. Lynn is also an evaluator for USASOC/NSW unnamed covert surveillance & counter-surveillance asymmetric operations.

This session introduces the Six Layer Concept, a tactical decision-making framework designed to enhance situational awareness and critical thinking in law enforcement. Built
on Human Terrain Mapping and Behavior Pattern Recognition (HTMBPR), participants will explore the Six Layers of Human Behavior, the B+A=D Decision-Making Algorithm, and advanced tools like the OODA Loop and Course of Action (COA) Development. This workshop equips officers with the skills to identify threats, mitigate risks, and articulate defensible decisions within legal, moral, and ethical frameworks.

Breakout Sessions

Dr. Stephanie Zoltowski-Siordia

Breakout Session Instructor

Maximizing Interactions with the Special Needs Community from Day 1

PsyD in Business Consulting; MA in Forensic Psychology; 20 years of experience with the special needs population; prior military police officer with the US Navy.


Dr. Stephanie Zoltowski-Siordia is a military veteran who was a police officer for the US Navy. Her specialties are mental health, professional development, and behavioral therapy for individuals with autism and other developmental and learning disabilities. She earned her Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology and Doctorate of Psychology in Business Consulting Psychology. In addition to her formal education and experience, she has a variety of certifications including Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Instructor (CPI), ASIST Suicide Training, Mental Health First Aid, Anger Management Treatment Professional, and Certified First Responder Supporter.

 

With nearly 20 years of personal and professional experience with the special needs population, she has a wide variety of tools and strategies to maximize compliance, cooperation, and positive interactions with law enforcement personnel. Since 2020, Dr. Zoltowski-Siordia has trained over 2,600 personnel across 50 different agencies in Michigan.

This course will equip FTOs with the tools, strategies, and confidence to teach new officers how to interact with the special needs population in their community while providing a solid foundation to understand, accept, and appreciate those with disabilities. By setting the expectation from Day 1 that this population deserves respect and understanding just as much as any other citizen, new and veteran officers will be safer, make fewer mistakes, and increase the positive relationships in their community.


This course will serve as a positive learning environment where receptive FTOs can set a precedent of how interactions and communication should look with this population and when expectations are set high, research shows that performance also increases. FTOs have the opportunity to return to their department with new strategies, knowledge, and possibly a new perspective on people with special needs.

Corporal Louis ‘Jack’ Worley

Breakout Session Instructor

Some Assembly Required: Navigating effective communication and the adult based learner

Corporal Louis ‘Jack’ Worley. I grew up in Washington State. Joined the United States Army infantry where I served for eight years. Three and a half of those years I was deployed for combat operations in Iraq between the years of 2006 and 2009. I come from a large, proud Irish family, and have three children of my own. Corporal Worley has been a Trooper with the Washington State Patrol for 16 years. A Control Tactics and Weapons instructor for seven of those years. Worley has been a department armorer for five years and spent five years as an FTO and currently serves as the lead TAC officer, and Control/Defensive tactics instructor for the Washington State Patrol Academy and have served in the capacity for the last three years. Worley is also the primary instructor for our Field Training Officer basic training course, as well as being responsible for the Field Training Officer refresher trainings.

The course will delve into adult based training methodologies, identify what techniques that were considered appropriate or acceptable in the past actually impede training in adult based learners (i.e. humiliation based training) It will present strategies to more effectively communicate the intent of the FTO, so that the cadet/recruit will have a better understanding of what is expected. The class will also break down how we communicate, and how our training value can be lost if we are not presenting a unified message with our words, tone, facial expression and body language. It will emphasize our impact on the cadet/recruit and better understanding of how they are constantly learning from us, even when we are not intentionally teaching. 

 

This course will assist the FTO in improving their ability to effectively communicate with the adult learner by enabling them to create and implement and adapt the way they teach to best suit the cadet/recruit they are trying to instruct. It will help them to identify subconscious behaviors in themselves that may be inadvertently impeding their ability to be successful in their roles as FTO, and will provide strategies for helping them to ensure that the instruction they are providing is complimentary with the training the cadets are receiving at their academies. 

Gary L. Sigrist, Jr

Breakout Session Instructor

De-escalation Principles and Practice

Gary L. Sigrist, Jr was an educator and administrator for the South-Western City School District (SWCSD) for 30 years. Gary coordinated efforts between SWCSD and federal, state, and local agencies, and worked with district and building safety teams to refine and implement safety plans. He secured almost $1M in funding and resources through federal and state grants for SWCSD to enhance safety, security and crisis management programs, as well as implementing the district’s visitor ID system and developing its Continuity of Operations/Disaster Recovery Plan and Food Defense Plan. 

 

Gary is a police officer with more than 35 years of experience working with schools and communities throughout Ohio.  He currently serves as a Training Officer and works with schools, healthcare organizations, churches, and businesses in his jurisdiction to teach and train in Emergency Management, Workplace Violence, Threat Assessment and Active Shooter Events. 

 

Gary is a certified Department of Homeland Security trainer for both the Law Enforcement Active Shooter Emergency Response (LASER) and Screening of Persons through Observational Techniques (SPOT) organizations. He continues to present at school safety conferences across the country on the topics of emergency preparedness, situational awareness, and teaching schools how to build relationships with their first responders.

Our society is in crisis. Drug addiction, mental health issues, and negative opinions of law enforcement requires today’s officers to be able to defuse and de-escalate encounters with the public. Although we have seen plenty of examples of officers who did nothing to de-escalate encounters with the public that has led to deaths, injuries, and both criminal and civil penalties, there are also plenty of examples where officers using de-escalation have garnered praise from the public.


De-escalation Principles and Practice is a 16 hour course funded by the US Department of Justice through the National De-escalation Training Center. Law Enforcement Agencies can request this training and the training will be provided at no cost to the agencies. NDTC also officers a 32 hour Train the Trainer program that is also funded by the DOJ. The only requirement for the agency is there must be at least 7 students in the course (multiple agencies can attend the same session) and the sponsoring agency must provide a training location that has internet access and audio visual equipment.

 

This session is designed to introduce attendees to DISC Esoterica to see if they would like to bring the training to their community. Although designed for law enforcement officers, dispatchers and records clerks have also take this training and found it to be valuable.

Jason Sherwin, Ph.D.

Breakout Session Instructor

Neuroscience of High-Stakes Decisions & Law Enforcement

Jason Sherwin, Ph.D. is founder of deCervo, a neuroscience tech company that makes decision training apps for professionals. In 10+ years, deCervo has changed the way high-stakes rapid decisions are trained in professional sports, including baseball hitting and hockey officiating. Dr. Sherwin’s post-doctoral research at Columbia University on neuroimaging of perceptual decision-making laid the foundation for deCervo and its later development of training apps for law enforcement.

 

Jason Sherwin, Ph.D. is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of deCervo, a technology company that focuses on brain imaging of high-speed decision-making. Since its founding in March 2014, deCervo’s work has been featured in both the popular and scientific press (e.g., Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, New York Times), while its user base in sports has spread through NCAA Division I and Major League Baseball, as well as the National Hockey League and NCAA Division I Football. He has been faculty in academia as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center. Prior to this faculty appointment, Jason completed his post-doctoral training at Columbia University under the direction of the brain-computer interface expert Prof. Paul Sajda, and received his Ph.D. (2010) and M.S. (2006) in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He also holds a BA in Physics from the University of Chicago (2005). Furthermore, he is an active composer and performer in the music industry.

This course will help an attendee be a better FTO in several ways. First, attendees will be more equipped to spot transition problems of officers going from academy to in-service. Second, attendees will learn teaching methods that are scenario-based and driven by fundamental neuroscience underpinning learning in law enforcement situations. Third and finally, the course is also suited for line officers / supervisors, who will also gain skills in learning scenario-based methods for in-service training. 

Ken Pomeranz & Dacia Simpson

Breakout Session Instructors

10 Techniques to Motivate an Underperforming Trainee

Ken Pomeranz has more than 30 years’ experience in law enforcement serving the San Diego Police Dept., the Las Vegas Police Dept., Adams County Sheriff’s Office (Colorado), Lakewood Police Dept. (Colorado) and currently the Phoenix Police Dept. He is a highly decorated officer (retired) who was shot in the line of duty. Ken earned his master’s degree in forensic science and is certified both as a Senior Crime Scene Analyst and as a Forensic Photographer through the International Association for Identification. He is a past president of the Rocky Mountain Division of the IAI (RMDIAI) and is currently a vice-president for the Arizona Identification Council. 

Dacia Simpson is a Crime Scene Specialist III who has 8 years of experience with the Phoenix Police Department. In this time, she has been responsible for the processing and documentation of a variety of criminal investigations to include homicides, aggravated assaults, robberies, abuse, and officer involved incidents. Dacia is part of the Phoenix Peer Support Program, acts as a Field Training Officer, and is also an onboarding Ambassador for new Crime Scene Specialists. She holds an Evidence Technology certificate, a Bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University in Social and Behavioral Science, and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from Northern Arizona University.

In the ever-evolving field of criminal justice, it is important to ensure that the next generation is empowered to succeed through the provision of tools specific to their personal needs. This course examines ten common issues faced by Field Training Officers when guiding novices through the training program and techniques to mitigate these concerns. After attending this training, FTOs will be able to identify the proper categories their struggling trainee may fall into and strategies for successful completion of a training program.

Ed Monk

Breakout Session Instructors

Critical Active Killer Lessons-Learned for Law Enforcement Trainers

Ed Monk is a city police officer and former deputy sheriff. He is owner of Last Resort Training & Consulting in AR.  Ed has studied and provided training to counter the Active Killer Problem for over 16 years.  He has trained law enforcement officers, schools, colleges, churches, businesses, and conferences nationwide.  In 2007, Ed retired from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel and Battalion Commander after 24 years of active duty in the US, Europe, and Iraq. He then taught high school for four years.  Ed’s formal education includes a BS in US History from West Point, an MS in Adult Education from Kansas State U., and he is a graduate of the US Army’s Command & General Staff College.

This course covers information and recommendations that will assist an FTO’s ability to improve an officer’s mental, skill, and tactical preparedness to aggressively respond to and stop an active killer.  It would also be beneficial for line officers, supervisors, and training officers.

Attendees will achieve the learning objectives through group lecture supported by a PowerPoint presentation.  Instructor will identify key lessons-learned from past active killer attacks that will assist law enforcement trainers in developing the most realistic training to counter this threat.  PowerPoint slides will include data, photos, and videos of past active killer attacks.

Jonathan McCombs

Breakout Session Instructor

Problem-Based Learning in Law Enforcement In-Service Training

Jonathan McCombs is an educator, former police officer, and investigator who holds a Master of Science in Criminal Justice and a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice. His dissertation topic was a study of problem-based learning in law enforcement in-service training. An extensive career of over 25 years in public safety and higher education provided experience in narcotics investigations, intelligence analysis, anti-terror investigations, gun trafficking investigations, street patrol, campus law enforcement administration, higher education administration, and advanced training. As an industry expert in the field of law enforcement, problem-based learning, and online learning, Jonathan McCombs is currently the Dean of the College of Health and Public Administration at Franklin University. At Franklin University he has been involved in many significant strategic partnership initiatives that advance access to higher education for students and develop innovative workplace education solutions. He is the co-founder of the Center for Public Safety and Cybersecurity Education which includes public safety, public administration, and cybersecurity-related degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels as well as academic innovation initiatives. He is also the Co-Executive Director for the Global Center for Healthcare Education where he advances his work in the healthcare arena with key strategic partners in the Central Ohio region and beyond. Dr. McCombs was appointed to the Fullbright Specialist Roster in 2020.

Problem-Based Learning was created in the early 1970’s in medical schools as a way to help physicians grow past memorization to problem solving.  Your instructor did his doctoral dissertation on the use of Problem_Based Learning in Law Enforcement in-service training.  The study is an important case for using pbl in training, but the course is about the essential components of PBL and how to create small and medium sized PBL sessions for training within your department.  The session will involve creating a small PBL session framework to take back to your agency.  This is an interactive session.

 

FTO can be a problem based learning experience or it could be a checklist of items to cover.  This session will help FTO’s understand how to contextualize the FTO program as multiple problems to solve, giving guidance and not the answers.

Stephen Kleeman

Breakout Session Instructor

FTO Overrides – Override or not to Override, that is the question

I started my law enforcement career in 1995 in a small town.  I attended the academy in Plainfield and graduated with class 95-120.  In 1997, I was hired by the Evansville Police Department where I worked 2nd shift Motor Patrol.  In 2000, I was selected and attended the FTO School, which started my FTO career.  I was a street FTO a little over 10 years until I took over as the Lead Instructor for the Southwest Indiana Law Enforcement Academy and became one of FTO Managers for the FTO Unit.  In 2016, I was promoted to Sergeant and went back to the street as a Motor Patrol Sergeant in January.  In July of 2016, I was the Coordinator of our Field Training Program, which has 30 full-time Field Training Officers and helped with SWILEA.  Those duties included running our full-time FTO Program, Academy Instructor, Less Lethal Coordinator, and working with the department’s Training Unit.  In January 2024, I returned to the streets as a day shift Motor Patrol Supervisor.

New recruits will make mistakes and the FTO will have to override their decisions.  When should the training officer override a new recruits decision?  When should a training officer avoid doing an override?  We will discuss situations when a training officer should step in or let the situation continue.  If the training officer does an override, how do we change the recruits direction without damaging the training process. Lastly, how do we prevent overrides and build confidence in the new recruit?

Halcyon Frank

Breakout Session Instructor

You Know How to Train, but Do You Know How To Learn?

Halcyon Frank is the founder of Halcyon Consulting Services LLC helping emergency communications centers and law enforcement through training and consulting leveraging over nine years of dedicated service in emergency communications and public safety. Halcyon remains actively involved in frontline emergency response, still dispatching in Eastern Nebraska. She is a certified Emergency Number Professional by the National Emergency Number Association. She holds a degree in Training and Development, along with being a certified Associate Professional for Talent Development by the Association for Talent Development, underscoring her commitment to excellence in public safety training.

7 years as a dispatch trainer, along with 3 years of experience teaching law enforcement and dispatch in person and virtually. Previously spoken at the National Emergency Number Association Conference, the Association for Public Safety Professionals National Conference, the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association conference, the Texas Women in Law Enforcement conference, as well as over multiple state conferences and on-site classes for individual agencies.

You may have been taught how to train, but has anyone ever taught you how you learn? This is a piece that most likely wasn’t covered in school or now in your career. Much of how we approach training can come from our own experiences from school and classes we’ve attended, but without truly knowing how we as individuals learn, we can’t fully know how to train. During this session, we’ll look at how we as individuals learn and how the science can be applied to your training program to improve effectiveness and success for both new and experienced team members.

 

This course will help attendees be better FTOs by helping them understand what’s going on in our brain when we learn and how they can apply that to their training to help trainees improve understanding and retention. They’ll be able to better align their training practices with their trainees cognitive processes.

Nicole Florisi
Breakout Session Instructor

Resilience: Stop Talking About It and Start Teaching It

Nicole has extensive experience as an educator, police officer, and therapist. She provides front-line instruction on de-escalation, crisis communication, force encounters investigations, and resilience skills. With over 25 years of experience, she has held positions including communications specialist, patrol officer, patrol sergeant, investigator, and acting chief. She has held previous roles as a Law Enforcement Subject Matter Expert at VirTra and as the Executive Director for the Verde Valley Sanctuary, a shelter dedicated to providing services for victims of sex trafficking, sexual violence, and domestic violence. Nicole is also an Advanced Force Science Specialist graduate. She has consulted on several cases with experience in traumatic stress memory, force encounters, and intimate partner violence. Nicole is currently working on her doctorate in clinical psychology. She holds two post-master’s degrees: one in Human Factors Psychology and one in Trauma Counseling, an M.S. in Professional Counseling, and a B.S. in Public Safety Administration and Emergency Management.

Attendees of this course will be provided with education on stress and trauma and how exposure to trauma impacts their lives. Attendees will be provided with instruction on several resilience and coping skills to mitigate and manage trauma symptoms and how to integrate resilience skills into the current training paradigm.Brain fitness, self-regulation, and resilience skills are essential to surviving this career. However, we only talk about resilience; instead, we need to integrate these skills into our training programs. This will help FTOs have actionable takeaways to incorporate these critical skills into current training.

Jim Dudley

Breakout Session Instructor

Collaboration Vs. Plagiarism” how to get Students Together to Problem Solving

Jim Dudley is a retired member of the San Francisco Police Department, in his 12th year of teaching criminal justice courses in California.  Dr. Gasparini is also a police officer/university professor and academy coordinator from New York.  Together, they have written a book on “Recruitment & Retention of Gen Z Law Enforcement Officers”.

 

Professors Gasparini & Dudley have taught at the NAFTO Conference in 2022, at the ILEETA Conference and have taught several years at academies and universities.

Cops and Professors Jim Dudley & Janay Gasparini show how to bring students together for small groups, peer learning and exercise based teaching and learning.

This course can help at the field training level to help students learn from different perspectives, including from their peers.  The strategies can be used in Field Training, giving students a chance to learn and take chances, without fear of failure.

Jason Devlin

Next Gen FTO – Breakout Session Instructor

Making Learning Sticky

Sgt. Jason Devlin has been an officer with Scottsdale PD (AZ) since 2003. He has served as a patrol officer, DUI officer, patrol sergeant, and is currently the training sergeant of the Professional Development Unit. Current duties include supervision of the Field Training Program, Emerging Leaders Program, and Adaptive Decision-Making Program. Jason has been a keynote speaker and instructor at multiple law enforcement conferences on instructor development, decision-making, and field training. He is the developer of the Nextgen Field Training Model which is continuing to be implemented on a national level. Jason also interacts with an international audience through social media as Thin Blue Line of Leadership.

When the first standardized model for field training was developed over 50 years ago, information about how to effectively instruct and mentor in a one-on-one environment was not what it is now. Research into the best methods for instructing has come a long ways over that time. But, without proper application all of this new information is worthless. In this class, we will discuss the best practices for utilizing the most current adult instruction techniques within the field training environment to get the most out of your trainees.

This Year's Sponsors

Benchmark Analytics invites all NAFTO National Conference attendees to relax and enjoy themselves in the conference Hospitality Suite. Benchmark Analytics will provide the snacks and beverages. You bring good conversation and fun-loving spirit. This is a great opportunity to exchange coins, patches, stories, and good ideas! Thank you Benchmark Analytics for your support. 

NAFTO is proud to partner with Virtra to bring you the NAFTO Night-In. This  yearly event is open to all National Conference attendees and is always a good time! Our Night-In includes the annual Cornhole Tournament, snacks, drinks, and entertainment. NAFTO and Virtra invite you to join us Wednesday night, June 14th @ 7pm in the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown. Thank you Virtra for your support!

virtra logo
frontline safety solutions logo
blue peak logic logo
mde, inc. industry leading software and training solutions for public safety

This Year's Fundraiser

NAFTO has been blessed to partner with Kim Schlau and the Uhl Sister Foundation this year to give us all an opportunity to support a very worthy cause. Kim and her foundation have a tragic, yet, amazing story and have played a crucial role in law enforcement training for years. Come meet Kim, hear her story, buy some raffle tickets, and possibly win a bottle of bourbon!

Don’t forget, there’s still time to submit applications for Master Field Training Officer and nominations for Field Training Officer of the Year. All applications and nominations must be received by April 15th, 2025. Master Field Training Officer certification costs your agency nothing and is a great way to recognize the hard work and dedication of your department’s Field Training Officers.

2025 National Conference Itinerary

Cost savings considerations at this year’s conference:

  • The hotel is a free 20-minute ride from the Indianapolis International Airport, with many direct flight options.
  • 6 meals provided for reduced Per Diem.
  • Located in the heart of downtown Indianapolis, with numerous dining and entertainment options within walking distance.
  • 18 breakout session class options, 2 panel discussions, and 4 general session presentations over 3 days full days of training.
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