Christmas Comes Early for Umatilla Sheriff's Office with State-of-the-Art VirTra Training
On December 18th, 2024, VirTra and the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards (IADLEST) presented the Umatilla County Sheriff's Office in Oregon with a V-100 Training Simulator. Umatilla County is the winner of this year’s Taskforce Santa program - an initiative to gift a law enforcement agency in need with a training simulator. VirTra and IADLEST selected Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office from almost 100 nominees, all with unique, unfulfilled training needs due to resource limitations. Now equipped with a powerful new training resource, the department's leadership plans to routinely practice de-escalation, encounters with autistic civilians, red dot marksmanship drills, and more.
The agency unveiled and demonstrated its new VirTra V-100 training simulator shortly after installation. Members of law enforcement, county staff, members of the public, and local media witnessed the VirTra V-100 in action. Chris Gold, VirTra's VP of Customer Experience, William Flink, Director at IADLEST, Captains Sterrin Ward and Paul Wolverton, County Commissioner Dan Doran, and Sheriff Terry Rowan all gave speeches expressing their excitement.
“On any given day, our officers could be trying to decide if someone is trying to harm us, is calling out for help, or needs counseling. It's a hard job, and we want to give our officers everything they need to be prepared. We all know the solution - simulator training. So, thank you. What an amazing gift,” said Captain Ward.
The V-100 is VirTra's single-screen simulator—a compact, portable solution ideal for training in various locations. The simulator ships with two SIRT training non-guns, OC spray, a flashlight, and a Threat-Fire consequence device. It also features the V-VICTA curriculum and scenarios that are POST-certified, containing tests and educational material, allowing the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office to begin training immediately.
VirTra and IADLEST selected Umatilla County Sheriff out of nearly 100 applicants who hoped to receive the V-100. Applications poured in from over 36 states and even included some international nominations, which all had one factor in common— a lack of resources that prevented them from achieving the training they needed.
While being trained to operate the simulator, the Umatilla County Sheriff’s team was impressed with the wide range of V-VICTA courses and the ability to create scenarios using video footage from a phone or camera.
VirTra’s Chris Gold shared Captain Ward's enthusiasm, expressing hope that the simulator will improve the county’s safety: "Captain Ward’s selfless submission spoke to the heart of what we do here at VirTra. You want more training? We hear you, and we’re here to give you more. Welcome to the VirTra family.”
Although VirTra and IADLEST received plenty of compelling nominations for this year’s Taskforce Santa, Umatilla County Sheriff's submission showcased an evident dedication to its community and to improving training. Being a small rural agency with limited staff, Umatilla County Sheriff deputies are extremely busy. As a result, they often respond to calls alone, are too far from collaborative training opportunities, and can only train the minimum amount required for certification. Now adequately equipped for these challenges, Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office plans to share the gift of training with nearby agencies, including:
- Pendleton PD
- Umatilla PD
- Pilot Rock PD
- Umatilla Tribal Police Department
- Hermiston PD
- Milton-Freewater PD
- Oregon State Police
- Morrow County Sheriff’s Office
William Flink emphasized the gift’s significance during his speech. “Being a former director of a POST agency, I know how hard it is for departments on smaller budgets to obtain this kind of technology. This is a once-in-a-lifetime gift, and we hope you get many hours of training from it,” William said.
The VirTra team is honored to provide an advanced training solution that will help the Umatilla County Sheriff's Office deputies enhance their skills and better protect their community. The unveiling of the VirTra V-100 training simulator for this year’s Taskforce Santa at the Umatilla County Sheriff's Office instilled joy and a renewed sense of safety in everyone involved.
