Article highlights:
Field training software is a technology solution that helps agencies manage, track, and measure their field training programs. Software cuts out the time-consuming paperwork and manual documentation your FTOs have to do every day – giving them the freedom they need to focus on developing high-quality officers within your agency.
If your agency is still using paper processes or complicated digital forms, monitoring your FTO program will be difficult, if not impossible. Instead of focusing on mentoring their trainees, your field training officers lose time on tedious documentation.
Not to mention, today’s recruits expect more modern processes when they join your agency. Working from physical manuals and completing paper forms in a binder is a turn-off to candidates – they prefer digital solutions that eliminate inefficiency so they can focus on the parts of the job they’re passionate about. Who wouldn’t love that?
In this article, we’ll highlight two options for police field training software – Frontline and PowerReady – that might be a good fit for your agency. We’ll discuss how each solution addresses the need to properly and efficiently manage your FTO program, along with a detailed analysis of their pros and cons so you can identify which solution is best for your agency.
Field training software helps agencies ensure their new officers are properly trained and prepared for the job by tracking their progress, simplifying documentation for FTOs, and providing data that can inform decisions and drive program improvements.
Without software, it could be easy to miss a step of the field training process or make a critical documentation error that puts the officer and the agency at risk. Law enforcement field training software is more than just a digital way to complete your daily observation reports. It gives you the best tools to make sure your officers are ready to safely and effectively do a job that requires a lot from them.
One of the biggest benefits of field training software is being able to produce training documentation in a few clicks in the event of an Internal Affairs investigation or lawsuit. Hunting through filing cabinets and preparing paper documentation is time consuming, more prone to errors, and not a great use of your agency's resources.
When looking for a digital solution to manage your FTO program, you want the best – software that meets your needs, makes your life easier, and will stand the test of time. Frontline and PowerReady are two notable examples of law enforcement field training software that could be right for your agency.
Frontline was founded by police officers in 2016 to help government agencies better track and communicate information. They market their field training software as “cloud-based daily observation report software to help manage your field training program.”
Frontline offers technology solutions in an effort to “bridge the gap between police, dispatch and the community.” They also offer software options related to community policing, QA tracking, training tracking, BWC audits, professional standards, and policy tracking.
PowerReady , formerly PowerFTO, is owned by PowerDMS , which was founded in 2006 as a public safety workforce management platform. PowerReady markets itself as “easy-to-use software that helps agencies prepare employees for the next phase of their career.”
PowerDMS by NEOGOV serves over 5,000 public safety agencies nationwide and designs software solutions to help public safety agencies reduce risk and liability, build public trust, operate with excellence, and improve department health. Some of these solutions include policy management, accreditation management, training management, shift scheduling, community engagement, and responder wellbeing.
Both solutions bring daily observation reports and field training tracking into the digital space – reducing the cost and time burden of paperwork.
Frontline is a great fit for agencies who are already using Frontline’s QA Tracker for their emergency communications center and plan to track their CTO and FTO modules in the same system.
Frontline’s police field training software could also be a good fit for agencies looking for a solution that will track DORs digitally instead of manually on paper without the need for additional advanced features or analysis of their FTO process as a whole.
PowerReady is a great fit for agencies that want to simplify and standardize documentation. The solution’s form connections, standardized scoring cues, and simple user experience make it a great fit for agencies looking to save time and eliminate subjectivity while documenting their field training.
PowerReady’s law enforcement field training software is ideal for agencies that want to take their field training program to the next level. The system’s reports, alerts, and advanced tracking capabilities can help evaluate the FTO program and enhance field training processes with data.
This solution is also a great fit for agencies already using PowerDMS by NEOGOV to manage and enhance their policies. Not only can you link field training activities directly into PowerPolicy, but you can also start using the software sooner due to a streamlined procurement process from a known vendor.
If you’re already considering any of PowerDMS’s solutions, they also offer bundled pricing when you purchase two or more products at one time – giving you more value for your money. If PowerReady sounds like the right fit for your agency, set up a consultation to learn more.