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E-News                       Newsletter #104                  October 2020
Dear Members,

       I hope this newsletter continues to find you and your families safe and healthy in this year, which to say the least has been like no other that most of us have ever lived through!  These next few months will be challenging for us in law enforcement.  I know training has been changed as a result of the pandemic, and put on the back burner for many agencies with the civil unrest. We are hoping that 2021 we can get back to putting on regional events and having a great training conference in September!   We have some important announcements we want to pass on to everyone and as always, if you have any questions, ideas or concerns please reach out to myself or any Board Member.   We are looking forward to getting thorough all of this and hope to make ALERT more active in the coming months!  Stay safe!

Sincerely,

Geoff Bush
ALERT President
   
Conference 2021 Tulsa, Oklahoma
      This newsletter should be giving a wrap up on how great our 2020 Conference was!   However, with the current situation, with the pandemic and the political environment, we still feel we made the best decision by cancelling our 2020 Conference.   With that being said September 2021 will be here before we know it and we already have some awesome activities lined up!

    Save the date and plan now to attend our 30th Anniversary
Conference in Tulsa Oklahoma hosted by Tulsa PD!!  The Conference will be held September 26-30, 2021 at the Renaissance Tulsa Hotel and Conference Center, 6808 S 107th E Ave, Tulsa Oklahoma.   Since we didn't have a Conference this year, next year will still be our 30th Conference!   More information will be forthcoming in the coming months.   We already have some great driving activities planned for track day and we already have presentations lined up by Calibre Press and Command Presence Training!
 
      We are going to try something a little different this year to add to our hotel schedule of presentations.  In the past we have typically looked for presentations and presenters outside of our ALERT membership.  We are sure that within our membership we have the expertise of some of our members who may have a class that would be of interest to the attendees at our conference.    We are looking for 1.5 hour presentations that are related to driver training in some aspect.  Submissions must  be forwarded through email by January 31st, 2021 to [email protected]. 

     Presentation submissions must include a detailed explanation of the course with an attached PDF of the PowerPoint or similar visual presentation portion.   If you have an idea for a presentation, or know of a topic or presenter you would like to see next year, please reach out to me as well.  Selected presenters will have one night's lodging covered by ALERT. 
Bruce Cabral Scholarship and Z Man Award
    Each year ALERT International provides a scholarship to one or two students of ALERT Members and presents our prestigious 
Z-Man Award at our annual Conference.  Without a Conference this year, this obviously did not occur for 2020.  The Board has decided we should continue this important tradition for 2020, even though we did not have a Conference.  We will accept nominations for both the scholarship and Z Man Award electronically for calendar year 2020, and will select recipients which will be announced later this year in a newsletter.  Both 2020 and 2021 recipients will be honored in person in Tulsa on September 30th, 2021.   The deadline to submit a nomination for either award will be December 1st, 2020. 
          
Bruce Cabral Memorial Scholarship
     Please take a moment and check out the application for the Cabral Memorial Scholarship.  Your son or daughter could be the recipient of a $500 or $1,000 Scholarship.      

    Each year ALERT International provides educational scholarships each to children of ALERT Members.  Applicants must:
    (1) be a son/daughter whose parent has been a member of 
          ALERT International for at least the 12 previous months
         (United States and Canada), 
    (2) be a graduating senior 
    (3) have a scholastic average of at least a B, or 3.0 on a 
         4.0 scale 
    (4) plan to attend a college, university, trade or business school. 
 
       Please email your application or questions to:   [email protected],  c/o Bruce Cabral Memorial Scholarship
      
Z-man Award
          Mark Y. Zylawy, "Z-Man", a highly regarded Portland police officer, died January 27, 2008 in a tragic and untimely accident at the age 40.
 
     In memory of Mark and what he stood for in regards to Emergency Vehicle Operations Training, ALERT International has set up the ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. This award is presented on an annual basis for the best innovative idea in Police Driver Training in the past year.  The Z-Man Award recognizes EVO Instructors for their exceptional efforts to improving emergency vehicle training.  Take a few moments and check out the Z-Man Award description on our website and nominate a member of your department or unit.
 
     Do you know of a training unit or an individual that has made an impact on EVOC?  Please submit your submissions at 
[email protected]


JOB OPPORTUNITY  
     Please check the below opportunity sent to us by our friends at FLETC.


ALERT INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT
    The Board of ALERT did not renew the contract with Christie Ward from Got Your Six Consulting as ALERT's Consultant and Conference organizer.  We would like to thank Christie for the work she has done for ALERT the past two years.  This was a decision the Board made in the best interest for the organization for us to move forward during these difficult times.  If you were in contact with Christie as a sponsor please contact anyone on the Board for a follow up.   

MEMBER REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
    Please see the below request from Bob Swenson from Minnesota Highway Safety:

   We would like information from the ALERT membership on the following three subjects....

1) Channeling: To direct vehicular traffic into a progressively narrowing passageway or lane location on the roadway. 

2) Compelling : The use of channeling technique with a modified roadblock located at its narrowed end. The compelling path differs from a termination roadblock in that the driver or any vehicle traveling the path has an exit option at the narrowed end. 

3) Tire deflation devices

     I would like input from the membership on the use of these three options and outcomes of their use.

    Thank you,

Bob Swenson, Director
Advanced Driver Training Minnesota Highway Safety and Research Center
St. Cloud Mn.
Direct: 320-308-1402
Office: 320-308-1400
Cell: 218-639-6177

  
 

A.L.E.R.T. International is dedicated to the encouragement and correlation of research and development as well as the sharing of information, ideas and innovations in the area of emergency vehicle response operation. Additionally, A.L.E.R.T.'s mission is to provide assistance to states in establishing effective and defensible standards for employment and training of law enforcement officers in the field of emergency vehicle operations. Another aspect of the mission is the promotion of a positive, professional image of emergency response trainers.