EMERGENCY VEHICLE OPERATION:
Response and Pursuit Issues

Particularly in the high-risk areas of law enforcement, police administrators must constantly battle the threat of civil liability. Worse, in the area of emergency vehicle operation, lawsuits typically follow serious injury and/or death. Lawsuits question whether the law enforcement agency has responsibly planned and managed a broad array of operational and administrative dynamics. The agency's written policies are challenged and its programs of training, supervision, and discipline are closely scrutinized. If police officials have not dealt adequately with these matters, supervisory liability, training liability, and municipal liability can follow. Through responsible and systematic planning and administration, law enforcement managers can minimize the potential for catastrophe and virtually eliminate the threat of supervisory and municipal liability.

Target Audience:
Law enforcement managers and administrators at all levels; Chiefs of Police and Sheriffs, patrol and investigative division commanders, mid-managers and first line supervisors, internal affairs investigators and supervisors, government risk managers and legal advisors, and persons in any way responsible for police training and standards.

Course Length:
One to Two Days

Featured Topics:

  • Overview of Emergency Vehicle Operation
    • History
    • Statistics
    • Law
    • Philosophy
  • Balancing of Risks
    • Risk identification
    • Prioritization
    • Philosophy
  • Law, Liability and Policy Issues
    • Civil and criminal liability
    • Trainer, supervisor, administrator liability
    • Court decisions, litigation trends and developments
    • Federal constitutional law
    • Existing state statutory law
    • Recommendations for new legislation
    • Line by line discussion of policy issues
  • High Speed Vehicle Operation: Response and Pursuits
    • Definitions
    • "Response"
    • Codes/level of need
    • "Pursuit"
    • Participants
    • Decision-makers
  • Legal Requirements
    • Emergency
    • Warning signals
    • Reasonable care
  • Safety, Initiation and Continuation Factors
    • Seriousness of underlying matter
    • Likelihood of apprehension of law violators (now/later)
    • Speed
    • Adequacy of warning signals
    • Congestion
    • Weather
    • Equipment
    • Operator skill and experience
    • Other
  • Special Tactics
    1. roadblocks?
    2. ramming?
    3. boxing?
    4. channeling?
    5. shooting at or from moving vehicles?
    6. present and future technologies
 
     
 


P.O. Box 2039
Huntersville, NC 28070
704-948-5608

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