One of the greatest risks in law enforcement is the proper management of the use of force. A survey conducted in the Midwest found that excessive force claims made up 17% of all liability claims made against police departments, and these claims cost about $4 million in losses. VirTra’s use of force scenarios and training simulators help police officers make better decisions in the real world. Through virtual real-life scenarios, they learn how and when to use force – whether it’s lethal or less lethal.

Proper Training to Reduce Risk via Use of Force Training Scenarios

Police officers face a multitude of dangerous situations during each and every shift, but adequate judgmental use of force training can help them prepare for the unexpected. After all, it is difficult to make assumptions about how to react in certain situations unless that situation comes up in real life. That is exactly what VirTra had in mind when creating its high-tech line of training simulators. The goal involves allowing police officers to experience situations in a virtual setting before they encounter them in the real world, which better prepares them and gives them the experience they need to make better on-the-spot decisions.

Firearms, Recoil, and Return Fire Training Use of Force Scenario

Knowing how and when to use a firearm is one thing, but understanding how that firearm will react when fired is another. Though officers regularly use firing ranges to get the feel for their firearms, shooting at a range and shooting during a dangerous encounter are not the same. Sometimes, officers may be required to fire their weapons from awkward positions, which can amplify the recoil and catch officers off-guard. Firearms simulators that incorporate real-life scenarios along with weapon recoil and simulated return fire better train officers how to react and respond.

Non-Lethal Force Training

Police officers hope they never need to fire their weapons, and it is their duty to exhaust all other means of subduing and apprehending a suspect before pulling the trigger. VirTra’s use of force training scenarios also provide training for non-lethal tools, including everything from OC to impact munition (12 gauge, 37mm, 40mm) and even TASER® devices. This real-life training gives officers the opportunity to see how a use of force scenario will play out if they choose to avoid using lethal force. These tools create a true-to-life reaction within the simulator.

Use of Force Scenarios That Change Based on Officers’ Decisions

VirTra understands that judgmental use of force training is not as effective when officers learn to anticipate what will come next in the scenario. That is why their products offer various outcomes that depend on the officers’ decisions along the way. For example, in an active shooter situation, the outcomes are different when the officer chooses to use a TASER and when they choose to use lethal force. Following the use of force training scenarios, debriefing can help officers learn why the decisions they made were correct or incorrect, thus giving them vital experience for real-world situations.

Judgmental use of force scenarios are important for the safety of not only the officers but also of the general public. Depending on the situation, quickly subduing and apprehending a suspect can save many lives. That’s why VirTra’s use of force training scenarios are so diverse and customizable – they seek to provide the best and most realistic training possible.

Interested in learning more or scheduling a demonstration? Contact a product specialist!

Police officers today have a wide range of crime-fighting tools available to them beyond just their service weapons as they perform their duties on the streets. They also have access to less lethal options, such as Axon® TASER®, kinetic energy rounds and OC or pepper spray, giving them additional choices when dealing with suspects in tense situations.

VirTra OC Spray Training

Yet to be ready to use those additional tools at a moment’s notice, officers need to regularly and safely practice operating them when dealing with criminal suspects and real-time crimes. That’s where the kinetic energy rounds, TASER and OC spray accessories available for VirTra’s use of force training simulators can be brought in to help officers better train for incidents when they will need to use de-escalation techniques and non-lethal force to control and subdue a suspect.

VirTra’s 12 gauge/37mm/40mm kinetic energy round accessories uses a laser within the simulator to represent these direct fire options. These dynamic training tools allow for higher stress, repetitive, skill building on these vital longer range less lethal options.

VirTra’s TASER accessory is modified to use a laser that “fires” at the display screens of the training simulator, rather than standard TASER stun equipment that strikes and disables suspects when they are shot. By allowing officers to use the same kinds of Taser devices in training that they will use on the street, it ensures they get and maintain real-world experience in operating the non-lethal devices so they are ready if they are needed.

The VirTra OC Spray accessory is a realistic-looking OC spray canister that is also modified to fire a laser rather than actual gas, giving officers the ability to train with the non-lethal crime-fighting tool while immersed in a training scenario on a VirTra use of force simulator.

The lasers in all products interact in real-time with the scenario videos being shown in the VirTra simulators, giving police officers the most realistic training they can receive. The suspects in the real videos featured in the simulators are affected by and react immediately to the officer’s use of the kinetic energy rounds, TASER or OC spray as part of the simulations.

By providing these training tools, officers get positive experiences in operating them to build their confidence and help them replicate their real-world, on-the-street use as closely as possible.

Several other accessories are also available for use with the simulators, including a low-light package that includes two special flashlights and other hardware and software which allows officers to simulate operations in low-light situations. The low-light option exposes the officers to the proper use of the flashlight and their weapon in such situations and teaches how to determine proper threat and target identification.

A specialty “breach door” accessory allows officers to practice how to break through a door when responding in an emergency. The device, which is specially designed to be re-useable for repeated entry by officers in training for close quarters battle (CQB) or room-clearing operations, gives officers experience with movements that are often not provided in standard training exercises. Officers can train in how to properly enter a room with their partner after breaching the door – when they still don’t know what is on the other side – enabling trainees to simulate this high-stress situation.

VirTra System Upgrades

In addition, VirTra offers other system upgrades that can enhance the use of its simulators. One upgrade is a 16-inch raised training platform for the simulator that brings officers up to the level of the display screens used by the systems, as well as an optional sound system that includes an amplifier and transducers to let officers “feel” the sounds they are hearing as they train. Also available are borderless display screens to make the videos seen by the officers even clearer and larger, eliminating a 5-inch black border between each screen in the standard versions. A touch-screen display option is also available for the computer system which is operated by an instructor to run the VirTra use of force training simulator.

All of these accessories and options are available in addition to VirTra’s patented Threat-Fire® Return Fire Simulator, which is a wireless, battery-operated electronic accessory that clips on an officer’s waist on a belt or clothing and can be used by a training instructor to add real-time threat and return fire simulation to an officer’s training experience.

Law Enforcement Use of Force Training

The patented VirTra Threat-Fire brings the ultimate in realism to law enforcement use of force training by adding the simulated – but noticeable – “consequences” of a suspect attacking an officer. The Threat-Fire jolts the trainee officer with an ultra-low-dose of an electrical charge to replicate the sensation of being assaulted during a high-stress situation on the street. The device safely simulates the pain of hostile attack using an electric stun, which can be adjusted in duration to up to 2.5 seconds.

The activation of the Threat-Fire Simulator is made even more effective because an officer undergoing use of force training in the V-300 or other VirTra use of force simulators doesn’t know when it will be activated by the training instructor. By randomly adding this consequence to the video training, officers can practice de-escalation techniques as well as the use of non-lethal weapons as they react to situations from domestic disputes to hostage use of force scenarios and more.

V-300® Use of Force Training Simulator

VirTra’s judgmental use of force training systems, such as its five-screen V-300 simulator, provide police officers with video-enhanced, real-world training scenarios that mirror situations officers experience on the street regularly in their jobs. The V-300 allows police officers to be surrounded by 300 degrees of realistic video simulations which allow them to become enmeshed in the crime incident scenarios unfolding around them. VirTra also offers a full line of other simulators in three-screen and single-screen configurations for every training requirement.

Tempe, Ariz. (July 14, 2016) — VirTra Systems, Inc. (OTC Pink: VTSI), a leading provider of use of force simulators and firearms training simulators, today announced that it has released a new patent-pending training capability for VirTra’s simulator product line that is compatible with the TASER® X2™ conductive electrical weapon (CEW). The new device will allow officers to practice the deployment of the X2 in a simulated judgmental use of force scenario without deploying actual cartridges and with the goal of providing them increased experience and confidence with the TASER X2.

“Many of our customers utilize TASER’s world leading conductive electrical weapons and see value in compatibility between our products. Our simulator training device is incredibly similar to using the actual TASER X2,” said Bob Ferris, Chairman and CEO of VirTra. “VirTra’s innovative approach and the increasing need for realistic and affordable training products of this type justified a patent application. I’m pleased to report that the first of these new products are now shipping to an international customer.”

TASER® and TASER® X2 are registered trademarks of TASER International, Inc., registered in the U.S. All rights reserved.

About VirTra

VirTra is a global leading provider of the world’s most realistic and effective judgmental use of force simulators. VirTra is the higher standard in firearms training simulators, offering a variety of simulator platforms, powerful gas-powered recoil kits and the patented Threat-Fire™ simulated hostile return fire system. VirTra’s products provide the very best simulation training available for personnel that are entrusted with lethal force and critical missions.  The Company’s common stock is not registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Company does not currently file periodic or other reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

www.VirTra.com

Forward-looking Statements

This news release includes certain information that may constitute forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements are typically identified by terminology such as “could”, “may”, “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “proposed,” “planned,” “potential” and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events.  All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including statements about VirTra’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.  Although VirTra believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. VirTra cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors.  Accordingly, due to the risks, uncertainties and assumptions inherent in forward-looking information, readers and prospective investors in the Company’s securities should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.  All forward-looking information contained in this press release is given as of the date hereof, is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as at the date hereof and is subject to change.  The Company assumes no obligation to revise or update forward-looking information to reflect new circumstances, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Investor Relations Counsel

Larry Clark
Financial Profiles, Inc.
(310) 478-2700
[email protected]

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