PHOENIX — Scottsdale Police Officer David Steel grabs the keys to a law enforcement vehicle and opens the door. He fastens his seat belt, puts the key in the ignition and turns the car on. He revs the engine, which marks the start of the class.
"Your office is your car," he said. "And you're driving all day long, so you want to be familiar with your car, how it operates and what to do in certain situations."
In this situation, the training is known as 'EVOC' or Emergency Vehicle Operator Course. It's not your typical training class because the classroom is a track and the car is one's pen and paper. The classes are meant to be hands-on and as realistic as possible and are offered to officers throughout their careers with Scottsdale police.
"A lot goes into it," Steel said. "It's a skill like playing the guitar. If we don't practice it, it'll go away. Talking about it is one thing, but physically doing it is completely different."
Steel has been one of the department's EVOC instructors for about ten years. His father was an EVOC instructor and decided to keep the tradition going because he's always liked driving. He said the course is crucial for law enforcement.
"So driving is very important," he said. "You can save people's lives and we want everyone trained so we can get there quickly and safely and not get anyone injured."
With officers in the driver's seat, each training class focuses on certain real-life situations. That includes defensive driving, pursuit driving and many others.
"What if this car stops, and what if this car pulls in front of me?" Steel said. "There's a ton of different driving training they'll go through throughout their career. One of the trainings we do is the 'break and evade' where somebody runs out in front of you or a car stops in front of you."
Steel is the first to admit the classes are fun (except maybe for those prone to car sickness). He also said the lessons learned last a lifetime and are intended for one goal.
"Cars can hurt people and kill people so we're constantly doing training to make sure that doesn't happen," he said. "It's all about trying to protect everybody."
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.