10/05/2024

The first pilot training of the Erasmus+ project Development of Joint Curriculum for First Responders on the Use of Force and First Aid Tactical Procedures (FIRST- TAC) was held at the Police Academy Prvi hrvatski redarstvenik of the Croatian Ministry of the Interior.

During the past five days, the police officers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lithuania, Poland and Croatia were studying, practicing and sharing experiences related to the use of force and tactical medicine, as announced by the Police Academy Prvi hrvatski redarstvenik of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia.

This project has been implemented from September 2023 by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, as the project holder, along with partners from the Agency for Education and Professional Training from Mostar (BiH), the Lithuanian Police School, and the Police School from Slupsk (Poland) through the exchange of experiences and best practices, and the harmonization of national curricula. The goal of the project, worth 250,000 euros, is the development of a training curriculum for police officers related to the use of force ​​tactics and techniques and tactical medicine. Ultimately, it should contribute to improving and standardizing the performance of basic police officers when it comes to the use of force and providing first aid.

In the past eight months, experts from partner institutions met in two online and four live meetings, during which they drafted a comprehensive training package that includes the curriculum, detailed preparations for teaching, descriptions of complex exercises, performance assessment rubrics, and learning materials for the participants.

The training programme consists of two parts - self-directed online learning, which requires approximately eight hours, and practical five-day live training. The participants thus have the opportunity to refresh and improve their theoretical knowledge before coming to the practical part of the training by studying the materials prepared for them on the e-education system of the Police Academy and checking their understanding of these materials through a series of short quizzes.

The first pilot training is an opportunity to test and refine the drafted curriculum and teaching material to better meet the needs and achieve the ultimate goal – providing a well-trained and ready police officer.

The pilot training instructors are the same experts who participated in the development of the curriculum, while regional instructors from the partner countries were invited as participants, six from each country, who will be able to further implement the curriculum in their police administrations. The project thus expands its reach, enabling the inclusion of experts from all parts of the partner countries and their active participation in the development of the final training package.

When addressing the participants, Josip Ćelić, the head of Police Academy and Mirjana Abramović, his deputy pointed out that, regardless of different national legal frameworks, the basic principles of police powers are the same in all countries, making projects like this an ideal opportunity to exchange experiences and improve everyday practice. "The Ministry of the Interior has recruited its best, highly motivated experts in this project. I am sure that the other partner institutions have done the same and that there are many excellent experts among you. Take advantage of that, learn from each other and network", said Josip Ćelić.

In addition to the first pilot training that has just been conducted, three more are planned - one in each partner institution. The next one will be held at the Lithuanian Police School from June 10 to 14, where new 24 learners will have the opportunity to test the curriculum and exchange their experiences, reads a press release of the Police Academy Prvi hrvatski redarstvenik.