LEOPARD Training Program

First Responder Institute

The First Responder Institute (FRI), a successful and accomplished non-profit public service organization, is dedicated to enhancing First Responder job-readiness, performance, survivability, health and wellness by delivering education, training and financial assistance to fire departments and police departments across the nation.

In support of its public safety missions, FRI researches the human performance requirements and characteristics of First Responder job tasks. Based on these analyses, FRI designs innovative training programs and competitive events that improve First Responder capabilities and performance.

Examples of FRI’S best known public service programs include the following:

• First Responder Grant Program – a $700,000 grant in aid program that has helped local fire departments purchase much needed front-line equipment over the past three years;
  
  
• Firefighter Combat Challenge (FCC) – an exciting competition that simulates the physical demands of firefighting and enhances public support of the profession by showcasing the skills and rigors of fire-fighting while teams compete against themselves, their opponents, and the clock (e.g., climbing a 5-story tower in full gear, dragging and hoisting empty and water-filled fire hose, rescuing a life-sized 175 lb. "victim");
  
  
• World SWAT Challenge (WSC) – similar to the FCC, the World SWAT Challenge is an equally exciting and successful First Responder program that has been developed to train, encourage and reward the law enforcement profession’s elite SWAT officers.

The FCC and WSC, which have been seen by millions of people on television over the past decade (e.g., ESPN, AFN and local news coverage), attract hundreds of public safety organizations annually to more than 40 competitive events held throughout North America. In addition to giving First Responders a well-deserved opportunity to publicly display their professional prowess, both of these events offer sponsors and alliance partners a very positive public relations platform on which to display their products, services and support for these domestic heroes in particular and public safety in general.

Addressing Law Enforcement Needs

In furtherance of the First Responder mission, FRI is creating a unique law enforcement public safety program initiative that will address the following critical public safety challenges:

1) Basic Skills – As a result of inadequate basic skills training and practice (e.g., marksmanship and foot-chase skills), the average police officer is unprepared to protect him or herself and the community they serve – negatively affecting job readiness, job performance, event outcome, and police and community safety. (Training Issue)

2) Physical Fitness – In spite of the general public’s commitment to improve health and wellness through exercise, the average officer leads a sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle of shift-work schedules and inactive squad-car patrols – negatively affecting job readiness, physical fitness, job performance, and long-term health. (Training Issue)

3) Nutrition and Health – Similarly, and contrary to the general public’s commitment to improve the nutritional value of the food that is consumed, the typical duty officer often makes poor food choices – negatively affecting long-term health, wellness, and fitness. (Education Issue)

4) Stress Management – The average police officer is placed under increasing job related stress – and is under-served by law enforcement and health care communities with remedial programs and coping strategies – impacting sick leave, disability and insurance claims, as well as long-term disease and early retirement. (Education and Fitness Issue)

Each of these challenges has a significant and negative impact on officer performance, safety and well-being – translating into less effective law enforcement services, and ultimately harming community safety.

LEOPARD Program

In response to these crucial public safety challenges, the First Responder Institute has developed the L.E.O.P.A.R.D.™, an acronym for “Law Enforcement Officer Performance And Reaction Drill.” (See Exhibit One for details.)

Readily transported and easily assembled in a gymnasium, the LEOPARD is an innovative basic skills training program that teaches and improves police officer job readiness, marksmanship, performance, and survivability in a foot pursuit, officer rescue and suspect retention. By combining personal equipment training (e.g., use of weapon, hand-cuffs, and other duty belt equipment) with an obstacle course that incorporates a wall, window, culvert and staircase, the LEOPARD creates: i) a dynamic and realistic basic skills training program; ii) a challenging test of capabilities; and iii) a fun and exciting competition. In short, the LEOPARD’S unique and innovative mix of basic skills training techniques provides a highly relevant and powerful teaching methodology that most are surprised to learn is not currently employed in America’s law enforcement training regimen.

During a six month trial program in Maryland, the LEOPARD has been widely presented and demonstrated to law enforcement agencies and political leaders with law enforcement management and oversight responsibilities in the state: police departments, state police, sheriffs departments, training com-missions, academies, the governor’s office, the department of homeland security, and members of the state legislature.

In view of the LEOPARD’S common-sense approach to teaching and improving essential policing skills, virtually everyone gives it very high marks. Based on this positive outcome, FRI is currently working with Maryland’s authorities to integrate the LEOPARD into law enforcement training programs throughout the state and has submitted a proposal to the governor and law enforcement oversight agencies that will implement the LEOPARD at eighteen training locations in Maryland, with funds provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FRI believes this implementation model can and should be duplicated across America.

Law Enforcement Public Safety Program

Based on the lessons learned in Maryland, and in recognition of the vital national law enforcement and public safety challenges that remain to be addressed, the First Responder Institute is committed to broadening the LEOPARD’S training content and launching this program throughout the country.

In general terms, FRI’S national law enforcement public safety program envisions the development of a basic skills, fitness, health, and wellness “road tour” training seminar – i.e., a traveling public service campaign that brings these important law enforcement public safety issues and solutions to each state through awareness development campaigns, training seminars and product demonstrations.

To implement this program, FRI will develop and manage a cooperative effort and team of professionals that will execute the contemplated skills, fitness, nutrition and stress management road tour throughout the U.S. To support this effort, FRI is seeking organizations with national law enforcement and public safety interests that are eager to form a partnership alliance with FRI in order to advance their interests along with the LEOPARD public safety cause.

Alliance and Sponsorship Benefits

1) Valuable Law Enforcement Development Opportunities – The public service interests and products of alliance partners and sponsors that participate in the outlined law enforcement initiative will receive very substantial development opportunities as a result of presentations made to the law enforcement community throughout the U.S. including: officers, law enforcement leaders, trainers and purchasers.

2) Valuable “Public Safety” P.R. Opportunities – With a public relations reach that extends well beyond the law enforcement community, organizations that support this public safety initiative will be systematically and prominently presented as community-minded and socially responsible organizations that support both law enforcement and public safety throughout the country: state and local government officials, political leaders, oversight agencies, unions and the general public – in an exciting public safety communications platform that encompasses, local, state and national audiences.

Based upon a comprehensive Job Task Analysis, the L.E.O.P.A.R.D.™ (Law Enforcement Performance And Reaction Drill) is a highly realistic “essential skills” training program designed to improve police officer job readiness, marksmanship, performance and survivability in a foot pursuit, officer rescue and suspect retention. Developed by a prominent team of First Responder occupational physiologists, the LEOPARD is an all-inclusive educational tool that incorporates policing tasks common to the entire spectrum of law enforcement activities.

By using realistic pursue-rescue-arrest simulation techniques, the LEOPARD teaches and reinforces essential policing skills: manipulation of items on the duty belt; negotiating obstacles; marksmanship with pistol, long gun or shotgun; respiratory protection; arrest and rescue techniques. A challenging and exciting race against the clock, the LEOPARD realistically portrays a common set of tasks every sworn officer should be prepared to encounter in today’s criminal and homeland security environment.

Adding realism to the training program, the LEOPARD incorporates the state-of-the-art Rovatec Bullite™ laser “bullet” and target system that is adaptable to most law enforcement pistols and carbines.

By linking the individual tasks under pressure of time, one of the greatest values of the LEOPARD lies in its use as a continuing education tool – honing necessary skills and brushing up on protocols. In as little as one day’s training, skills proficiency can be taught, refreshed and improved.

Capable of being modified to meet local, state and national standards, the LEOPARD can be used for teaching, developing and sustaining key survivability skills to new recruits or veteran officers. Alternatively, it can be used in hiring decisions or as a training program and performance standard – with an acceptable baseline performance level set by the pertinent law enforcement organizations.


1. Officer starts from seated position and scales 6’ wall.
2. Crawls through the culvert while illuminating a sensor with flashlight.
3. Dons a gas mask, opens the window and shoots at the target.
4. Ascends and descends staircase.
5. After crawling through the second culvert, kneels and shoots twice at three targets.
6. Handcuffs the suspect.
7. Removes the gas mask and places it in the box, then “rescues” the victim by dragging it 50’.
8. While standing, shoots at the next set of three targets.
9. Scales the 6’ wall again.
10. Picks up the carbine, shoots and hits the 120’ distant target, thereby stopping the clock.