While we most often think of the Internet of Everything (IoE) as transforming public safety forces out in the field, change can actually begin before an officer is even leaves the station. Classroom training for officers is crucial, enabling them to stay safe and perform at the highest level out in the field. Current events highlight just how important good training is, ensuring officers know how to act in all situations and act as good example of public safety in their communities. The problem is that police officers work on shift schedules, which makes it extremely difficult to get everyone in the same room at the same time for training.

How do police departments guarantee their officers are trained at the highest level despite this scheduling issue? Video training. Police departments and training officers can use video to produce high-quality educational training tools that can be viewed online at an officer's convenience. On-demand video recording tools like Cisco's WebEx are straightforward and easy to use, and allow educational materials to be accessed anywhere via the cloud. These on-demand video presentations help make sure everyone is receiving the same level of training, improving the way public safety agencies operate before anyone even steps foot in the field.

Here are four more benefits that stem from on-demand videos for classroom training:

1. Reduce the need for trainers to be physically present at all classroom trainings

It's still extremely important for police departments to conduct live training exercises. But by replacing classroom sessions with video training, training officers' time is freed up to focus more on live training exercises. This makes certain officers are still receiving the training they need while helping departments operate more efficiently.

2. Eliminate the burden of shift scheduling to accommodate training

Juggling day and night shifts with training schedules is a hassle. Agency leaders have to analyze staffing, pull people off regular shifts, fill those spots with other agents and often have to pay overtime to do so. It also involves paying trainers to be onsite for multiple days. Video training allows officers to stay on their regularly-scheduled shifts, preventing the confusion and difficulty of shifting schedules and allowing officers to access training videos at a time that is convenient for them.

3. Offer more flexible learning options for officers

When classroom training is shifted to on-demand video, it allows the possibility for flexibility. Videos can still be deployed in classroom situations for departments that have the facilities, allowing officers to learn in a group environment. Officers can access training during breaks, shift changes or downtime. If departments lack classroom space or have hundreds or thousands of officers, on-demand training can be viewed from home or patrol cars at any time.

4. Keep training secure and accessible via a dedicated cloud network

Cisco's WebEx stores training modules remotely on Cisco's WebEx cloud, which means the videos are secure and available anytime. In order to access a department's library of videos, officers need a login and a password. Additionally, administrative rights can be set so only certain people can make changes. At the same time, however, Cisco's cloud platform is always accessible because it uses secure data centers located near major Internet access points worldwide. This reduces technical roadblocks while still keeping videos secure.

On-demand video has the potential to transform the way departments run training, allowing agencies to operate more efficiently. And in light of current events, when so many police departments find themselves under public scrutiny, an overhaul of training can help ensure all officers are educated to perform their jobs at the highest level to help keep their communities safe.

Check out our website to learn more about Cisco's solutions for public safety agencies, including how agencies can utilize WebEx.