Wednesday, November 19. 1997
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 5
Kansas police keep learning
Officers continue training to fulfill state requirements
By Mary Corcoran
mccororan@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
KU students can worry less about radioactive chemical spills and obnoxious odors, thanks to Kansas training requirements for police officers.
Despite receiving 360 hours of academy training to become certified full-time Kansas police officers, officers are required to have 40 hours of additional training every year they work in Kansas.
Typical training courses include tactical firearm training such as night shooting or moving-target practice, as well as dealing with off-duty situations, court testifying, report writing and hazardous-material management.
Sgt. Chris Keary of the KU police department said, "Training is a reflection of the professionalism of the job, that the job does change from year to year and that officer training must change, too."
Officers are required to have 40
additional hours of training each year, but Keary said that many times the officers receive more than 40 hours because of the variety of training seminars available. Officers can get training hours through participation and instruction, but they cannot teach for more than 20 hours. Keary said.
The training requirements for Kansas police officers are regulated through the University of Kansas. The University maintains the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center through its continuing-education program. The center is located in Hutchinson.
"It provides a place for the academy and also provides a way to keep track of the 40-hour requirement for all the officers in the state of Kansas." Keary said.
Some police departments, like Lawrence's, set aside one work week a year for officers to receive all 40 hours of their training. But the KU police department allows its officers to pick and choose most of their training courses.
Keary, who helps teach many of the training courses, said he lets officers help him choose what to teach. The training courses are offered throughout the year.
KU officers are required to have refreshres courses every year in
"Training is a reflection of the professionalism of the job, that the job does change, from year to year and that officer training must change, too."
Sgt. Chris Keary KU police officer
firearm qualifications, domestic violence, first-responder medical training and hazardous-material recognition.
The hazardous-material training rotates between the Lawrence Fire Department hazardous-material team and the University's Department of Environment, Health and Safety.
Hazardous-material training is required by federal law, Keary said.
Mike Russell, director of the Department of Environment, Health and Safety, directed this year's hazardous-materials training. The training session took place last week.
"We covered the basics. What a hazardous material is. How to
determine if it may be present or involved in an accident and the safety measures required to solve the problem," Russell said.
The session took about two hours.
Russell said the campus had small volumes of almost every hazardous material.
"We spent about 45 minutes on the basics and about an hour going through campus building by building talking about what hazardous materials may be located in them," he said.
"There is such a wide variety on campus," he said. "We have biology labs, with agents that could be harmful, research labs with anything from radioisotopes to the HIV virus and chemistry labs with potentially explosive, toxic or flammable materials."
Russell said he never had seen a major hazardous-materials problem on campus. He said Malott Hall had been evacuated a few times because of the odor of a chemical know as Mercaptan.
"It smells like a combination of garlic and skunk, and they use it in natural gas so people can smell it," he said. "Sometimes, though, they use it alone in experiments. A little of that goes a long way. It can become obnoxiously odorous."
SHURFRESH TURKEYS 28c
LIMIT (1) TURKEY WITH COUPON AND $25 OR MORE IN OTHER PURCHASES,
LIMIT ONE COUPON PER FAMILY.
WITH COUPON BELOW
COUPON COUPON
LIMIT (1) TURKEY WITH COUPON AND $25 OR MORE IN OTHER PURCHASES.
LIMIT ONE COUPON PER FAMILY. COUPON GOOD THAT 11/26/97
944 Mass.
832-8228
Red Lyon Tavern
Attention Students:
The Graduate and Professional Association and the Graduate School invite nominations for the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards.
- Information and nomination forms available in 300 Strong.
- Deadline for student nominations: December 10.
Earn the cash you need for school...and to make the holidays cool.
After training you set your schedule to earn the maximum hourly wage.
Our current
full-time *employees
earn $9.50/hr.
Full-time
We currently have openings for:
Part-time
Evening/Weekend
Teleservices
Representative
Day or Evening Teleservices Representative
Casual dress and benefits for full and part-time.
Casual dress and benefits for full and part-time. $ ^{\circ} $ (30 hrs/wk for evening/weekend)
Call: 865-4141
Or Apply in Person:
Monday-Friday 9am-6pm
1601 SW 23rd, Lawrence, KS
ITI Marketing Services Equal Opportunity Employer
- Running out of space in your apartment or dorm room?
Sick of sleeping on your worn out bed?
Or just wanting a new desk to study on?
At the House Of Denmark we specialize in making your living quarters organized and comfortable, with a wide range of home items:
- desks • bookshelves • bedroom furniture • lamps • and more!