Massachusetts Bay Transpostation Authority (MBTA) PD

 

NASS delivered Advanced Counter Terrorism Training with emphisis on BPR™ training to law enforcement officers at Boston’s Mass Transit .BPR is a training program that equips officers with skills to better recognize and assess behaviors that do not correspond with what would normally be expected in a particular environment and that may indicate hostile intent. The process provides for a way to greatly improve customer service (since the most likely reason for an unusual behavior is distress or confusion) while at the same time providing an  excellent tool to assess for potential criminal or terrorist activities that should be alerted to law enforcement authorities. The project included a detailed Front End Analysis (at ISD standards), which, among other things, covered identification of needs, best practices, limitations, and target audiences. The program also went on to develop detailed curriculums, lesson plans, narrative and presentations. These deliverables were broken down by audience (security/non-security) as well as by professional and operational needs (programs for check points’ security personnel, gates and perimeter guards, non security ticketing personnel, on board conductors etc). Overall, over 200 police officers were and will be trained
by NASS trainers and by MBTA officers who completed the Train the Trainer.

 

The BPR project included the following phases:

  • Front EndAnalysis
  • Basic BPR/ITR training (Immediate Tactical Response)
  • On-the-Job Training
  • Train the Trainers
  • Audit

 

BRP Project Details:

Front End Analysis

A NASS team was sent to Boston’s MBTA to conduct an in depth survey of the transit system and it’s procedures in order to create and tailor the program to the specification of the MBTA. This included interviews with key personnel at the police department regarding procedures and expectations of the course. In addition, the team walked through the stations and train lines and studied its operations, needs and proceedures. The process as whole was guided by and delivered ISO standards. The Front End Analysis
reviewed the following procedures and regulations:

  • Transportation Security Regulations (TSR) Parts: 1520, 1540,
    1542, 1544, 1546, 1548 and 1550.
  • The different legal aspects at both local and federal levels.
  • The operational arena; the different agencies within the MBTA
    and the interagency protocols.
  • Weapon and firearms procedures and local rules of engagement.
  • Suspicious object handeling procedures.

The above subjects were taken into consideration while adopting BPR for use at the transit system in question. Emphsis was given to
BPR being an additional security layer at the MBTA and for its integration with other security layers and mandatory procidures.

 

Training

NASS trainers provided the training to a selected group of Officers. The training was made of BPR and ITR
(Immidiate Tactical Response). The BPR training which involved in class presentations regarding the methodology and the local environment, and practical exercises at the stations. The execises involved the trainees working with passengers and other visitors to the stations. The ITR training involved physical self defense training that provided the officer the ability to neutralize any immediate threat. In addition, simulations were carried out with a specially prepared training aids.  At the end the training the trainees took an exam covering all the materials they went through throughour the training. Passing grade had to be above 75%. In order to improve our training materials the trainees filled out an evaluation form grading both the
trainers and the training materials. The evaluation forms were taken into considaration and were implemented in our program development.

 

On-the-Job Training

Every officer that graduated the basic BPR training goes through an On the Job Training, where he and our
trainer work together at the officers worksite. After a couple of hours working together using the BPR training the instructor evaluated the officer and helped him improve his BPR skills. The evaluation feedback was carried out Trainer to Trainee while an evaluation form was filled out for every trainee and passed on
to the Supirior Officer.

 

Train the Trainers

MBTA’s PD together with NASS selected a group of officers to be trained to become BPR instructors and
train all MBTA’s officers. the officers went through special training with our instructor in order for them to understand better the BPR concept and to be able to train their fellow officers. Each trainer received a Trainer Kit prepared by NASS.

The Kits includes:

  • Lesson Plans for every lesson
  • Power Point Presentations for every lesson
  • Narratives for every lesson
  • Environment Analysis Form
  • Video Clips
  • Training Materials
  • Test Forms (Pool of questions to creat different tests)
  • Evaluation Forms.

Updates & audits

NASS provides yearly audits and updates to the Police Department. The audits include a NASS trainer working with the local trainers through a course given by them giving them feedbacks regarding their performance in the training. In addition, the NASS trainer works with some of the new trainees (Not trained by NASS) in order to improve their BPR skills, making sure that they are proficient and fully understand the BPR concept and methodology. In addition, a yearly update is provided to the Trainer Kits. The updates include new case studies, new training materials and other updates related to the program.