Lessons From The Field: Exploring The Impact Of Debriefing Simulation Exercises

The delivery of training for police officers which provides opportunity to practice decision making skills in safe situations is widely acknowledged as problematic. Globally the inclusion in training of simulating policing incidents is growing at a rapid rate as a strategy to develop an officer's preparedness for the volatile, life threatening front line of policing the streets. The NSW Police Simulation Operations Unit utilises the Jonathan Crego designed Hydra simulation framework to provide a situated learning experience. Senior officers undertaking an incident command course (ICC) have opportunity to 'practice' their decision making skills in a major public order incident. This paper reports on a pilot study undertaken to explore amongst other factors, the impact of debriefing the training simulation for officers' professional practice. The study moved beyond the classroom to the street, interviewing ICC participants 3-4 months following training and their return to the field. The results suggest that the critical value of debriefing lies in supporting the participants learning by going beyond 'a job well/not well done' to increase their preparedness for the reality of their professional practice.