4 Colo. Code Regs. § 901-1-23
Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 22, November 25, 2024
Rule 4 CCR 901-1-23 - Academy Skills InstructorsEffective November 15, 2023
a) Recognition of academy skills instructors. (I) A skills instructor may be recognized to teach at an approved academy as either an assistant skills instructor or a full skills instructor in each of the three (3) required skills training programs: arrest control, law enforcement driving, and firearms.(II) All skills instructors who teach any portion of a skills training program at a POST approved basic or reserve training academy shall be qualified and approved as required by this Rule.(III) Each academy shall maintain the applicable certificates of completion and/or documentation for all skills instructors.(IV) New academies requesting POST approval and POST approved academies that have not conducted an academy within the previous three (3) years shall submit the appropriate documentation to POST and obtain approval for all assistant skills instructors and all full skills instructors.b) Assistant skills instructors. (I) An assistant skills instructor may instruct under the direction and in the presence of a full skills instructor and assist in evaluating and coaching trainees.(II) Minimum qualifications for an assistant skills instructor:(A) In order to begin serving or to serve as an assistant skills instructor, a person must have successfully completed the relevant approved skills instructor training program (See Rule 1, Definitions); and(B) For arrest control skills instructors, the relevant approved skills instructor training program shall be the same recognized discipline for arrest control training in which the person will be instructing.(C) Effective January 1, 2025, all assistant skills instructors for firearms must complete a 16-hour red dot sight POST approved instructor course.(III) Approval of assistant skills instructors.(A) Effective March 1, 2011, assistant skills instructors for firearms, arrest control and driving do not need to have certificates of completion reviewed by POST if the academy director or new assistant skills instructor is certain that the instructor has completed the relevant approved skills instructor training program.(B) POST will review certificates of completion and/or documentation for assistant firearms, arrest control, and driving assistant skills instructors if an academy director or new assistant skills instructor applicant is not certain that a particular instructor training program qualifies as the relevant approved skills instructor training program.(C) Either the academy director or the assistant skills instructor applicant may submit the certificates of completion and/or documentation to POST for review.c) Full skills instructors.(I) A full skills instructor may develop, implement, and evaluate a skills training program. In order to begin serving or to serve as a full skills instructor, a person must have satisfied the three (3) minimum qualifications listed in the following paragraph (II).(II) Minimum qualifications for a full skills instructor.(A) Successful completion of the relevant approved skills instructor training program (See Rule 1, Definitions); and(B) Successful completion of an approved forty (40) hour instruction methodology training program; and(C) For arrest control and law enforcement driving, completion of a minimum of eighty (80) hours of instructional experience as an assistant skills instructor at a Colorado POST approved academy. For arrest control training, the eighty (80) hours may be completed in any recognized discipline(s) for arrest control training in which the instructor has completed the relevant approved skills instructor training program.(D) For firearms training, completion of a minimum of two times as many hours as a POST academy firearms program as an assistant skills instructor at a Colorado POST approved academy. Effective January 1, 2024, all current full skill instructors and applicants for full skills instructor must complete a 16-hour red dot sight instructor course.(E) All training shall be completed within the previous five (5) years prior to application.(III) Approval of full skills instructors.(A) All new full skills instructors must be approved by the Board in consultation with the corresponding subject matter expert committee(s) for arrest control, law enforcement driving or firearms prior to serving as a full skills instructor.(B) To apply for approval as a full skills instructor, either the academy director or the full skills instructor applicant, if the applicant has no current academy affiliation, may submit the appropriate documentation to POST to substantiate that the minimum qualifications have been satisfied.(C) A written statement from the director of the academy where the applicant served as an assistant skills instructor is acceptable documentation as it applies to the hour requirement. The statement must include the applicant's full name, the dates that the applicant instructed and number of hours on each of those dates showing the applicant's instructional experience.(D) Instructional experience completed at other than a Colorado POST approved academy may be considered as part of the eighty (80) hour requirement. However, the full skills instructor applicant must request a variance in accordance with POST Rule 7, Variances, and the applicant may be required to appear in person before the appropriate subject matter expert committee to demonstrate skills instructional proficiency.(E) The completed documents received at POST will be reviewed by POST in consultation with the appropriate subject matter expert committee during the committee's next regularly scheduled meeting.(F) POST will provide written notification to the academy director or the full skills instructor applicant who submitted the documents as to whether the applicant was approved or denied approval as a full skills instructor.d) Lead skills instructors. (I) A lead skills instructor is a full skills instructor who may be designated by the academy director to oversee or coordinate the administration of a specific skills program of a particular academy class.(II) Lead skills instructors require no additional approval by POST beyond approval as a full skills instructor.(III) POST will review certificates of completion and/or documentation for lead skills instructors only as such documentation pertains to approval as a full skills instructor.e) Any applicant denied approval under section (b) or (c) of this Rule may appeal such denial in writing to the Director within ten days of notification of denial.37 CR 24, December 25, 2014, effective 1/14/201539 CR 01, January 10, 2016, effective 1/31/201640 CR 08, April 25, 2017, effective 7/1/201741 CR 07, April 10, 2018, effective 4/30/201842 CR 01, January 10, 2019, effective 1/30/201943 CR 01, January 10, 2020, effective 1/30/202043 CR 20, October 25, 2020, effective 11/15/202044 CR 01, January 10, 2021, effective 1/30/202144 CR 08, April 25, 2021, effective 5/15/202144 CR 20, October 25, 2021, effective 11/15/202145 CR 01, January 10, 2022, effective 1/30/202245 CR 07, April 10, 2022, effective 5/15/202245 CR 19, October 10, 2022, effective 11/1/202246 CR 01, January 10, 2023, effective 1/30/202346 CR 19, October 10, 2023, effective 11/15/2023