Atlantic Police Academy's 3D simulator puts cadets in real life scenarios

The Atlantic Police Academy is using a new simulator with 3D capabilities featuring more than 600 real life scenarios to help prepare its cadets for stressful situations on the streets.

Cadets gain confidence by interacting with real life scenarios in 3D

Nancy Russell CBC News Posted: Jan 12, 2016 5:00 AM EST | Last Updated: January 12, 2016

Instructor Rick Blouin demonstrates the use of a Taser in one of the more than 600 scenarios featured in the new simulator at the Atlantic Police Academy. (Nancy Russell/CBC)

The Atlantic Police Academy in Slemon Parkis using a new simulator with 3D capabilities to help prepare its cadets for the stressful situations they'll likely face on the streets.

The simulator features more than 600 real life scenarios where cadets can use a range of weapons including pepper spray, stun guns and firearms.

This is about as close to reality as you can get. Edgar MacLeod, Atlantic Police Academy

"What we do is reality-based training," explained instructor Rick Blouin.

"Because it's a very short period of time ... they're here for five months ... The more they can do, the better they become."

The Atlantic Police Academy trains cadets to work at a wide range of law enforcement agencies, including police, corrections officers, sheriffs and conservation officers.

Cadets used to practice using actors and scripts, but the 3D simulator offers a much more hands-on experience.

"This is about as close to reality as you can get," said Atlantic Police Academy executive director Edgar MacLeod. "So it's a great training tool."

The weapons the cadets use are real but they're synched to the program to fire lasers instead of live ammunition. The scenarios are based on real situations and the actors onscreen are all involved in law enforcement.

Instructor Wayne Rudderham demonstrates how he can change the reactions of suspects in the scenarios. (Nancy Russell/CBC)

Gaining confidence

Instructors say cadets learn more than just how to fire the weapons they also learn when not to deploy weapons, even in high stress situations.

"I think what they gain is confidence," said Blouin. "Police have a very short period of time to make an assessment, judgment calls ... To be familiar with your tools so that when you're faced with something that you're able to assess under stress and feel confident."

Instructor Wayne Rudderham said the academy will continue to use scenario training with actors who can give the cadets live feedback, but he said the 3D scenarios will give cadets more practice.

"The scenarios on the simulator are quick, they're short," he said. "It's going to allow the cadets to have more screen time.

"The more their minds are thinking of how to de-escalate or solve a problem the better off they will be when they hit the streets."

Rick Blouin demonstrates how the simulator uses a real weapon synced with the simulator to use a laser. (Nancy Russell/CBC)

Simulator company's first sale to Canada

According to Rudderham, the academy is the first Canadian customer for the American company that produces the simulator, at a price tag of just over $100,000.

He said the academy plans to add barricades and the front end of a police car to make the simulator room more realistic.

"Simulation technology is a trend that's right across our industry and other industries, so we're seeing more and more use of it," MacLeod said.

"The skills [of the officers] coming out of here will be better than they have ever been before."

The first class of cadets to use the new simulator has just started their training. They'll use the 3D program at least once a week during their five months of training at the academy.

Atlantic Police Academy's 3D simulator puts cadets in real life scenarios

Cadets gain confidence by interacting with real life scenarios in 3D

Gaining confidence

Simulator company's first sale to Canada

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