DATE: Wednesday, October 29, 1997           TAG: 9710290664

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   61 lines

POLICE TARGET BETTER TRAINING

Three police officers enter the suburban home to issue a felony warrant, but once inside, a young man pulls a handgun from a kitchen drawer and fires. The officers shoot back. The man is hit several times and killed.

Minutes later, in another part of town, another man fires at police with a shotgun and handgun after his car is pulled over. The officers return fire. He is gunned down.

These violent scenarios do not represent an abnormally bloody day in Norfolk - just the latest training technology for police officers.

They are a part of FATS - Firearm Training System - a $73,000 computer course that gives officers hands-on experience in real-life situations. It not only helps veterans and rookies improve marksmanship, but it also forces them to decide when they should or should not use their guns.

``This is more realistic to the actual situations,'' said Sgt. Larry Carter, who oversees firearm training for the department. ``It's just like a real call. You never know what to expect.''

The system, which was installed almost six months ago, is a step up from stationary targets or dummies. Larry Hill, a police spokesman, said it is the most-sophisticated firearm training system used by agencies in Hampton Roads. It is also a required portion of certification training.

Officers enter a small room at the pistol training range near the Norfolk International Airport. The handguns are designed like real ones but are attached by a long cord to a computer control panel at the rear of the room.

Officers point their weapons at a projection screen that spans the width of the room. A trainer working the control panel then can boot up a range of re-enactments - from a drunken man threatening a baby, to a police pursuit, to a disgruntled ex-employee armed with a shotgun.

The officers then ``walk'' through the scenes as if they were real.

The controller can change the actors' actions each time. In one scenario, a gunman may shoot at officers, but in another the same man may surrender peacefully.

The simulations get the adrenaline pumping, and once each scene begins, it can be easy to get absorbed into the action. But this isn't a fun shoot-'em-up video game.

After each round, officers are told by the computer how many hits and misses they had and which shots were fatal. Their scores are logged on training records.

In addition to handguns, officers also can train with a shotgun or chemical spray.

Carter said 56 percent of law enforcement officers are killed within 5 feet of the shooter. Stationary targets, while improving marksmanship, do not always reflect varying distances, sizes and movement of targets. With FATS, police can learn how to move and react to stressful situations.

``We can enhance our chance of surviving by moving while shooting,'' Carter said. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]

FIREARM DECISIONS

MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN PHOTOS/The Virginian-Pilot

Sgt. Larry Carter, who oversees firearms training for the Norfolk

Police Department, demonstrates the computerized simulation system,

that allows officers to react to ``real-life'' situations about when

to shoot.

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