April 24, 2020
R. J. Corman Grounds Serve as Training Area for Law Enforcement Vehicle Pursuit
A vehicle chase is not what you usually see on the quiet roads that weave through the natural area surrounding the R. J. Corman Railroad Group headquarters in Nicholasville, KY. On a typical day you might encounter an R. J. Corman Farm Crew pickup truck or an employee out for a jog on their lunch break on the peaceful paved track. Yet, this week a course was set up on the grounds for law enforcement vehicle pursuit training.
Legislation requiring Kentucky law enforcement agencies to develop pursuit polices was passed by the Kentucky House of Representatives in early March. Bruce Schreiner of the Associated Press wrote, “The measure is known [as] ‘Jill’s Law’ in honor of Jill Hurst. She died last year after the car she was in was struck by a suspect being pursued by police…” Schreiner also wrote, “Republican Rep. James Tipton, the bill’s lead sponsor, said it’s not a criticism of law enforcement, but is meant to help protect the public and officers.” A key component of the new legislation is the requirement for law enforcement personnel to complete emergency vehicle operations training.
The Jessamine County Sheriff’s Office was quick to begin preparations for this new training. R. J. Corman has formed a strong relationship with the Sheriff’s Office over the years. R. J. Corman Railroad Chief of Police, Andy Midkiff, works closely with local law enforcement on matters that impact the local community, and Jessamine County Sheriff’s Office personnel are always welcome guests at R. J. Corman’s First Responders Luncheon hosted annually at the company headquarters. When the Sheriff’s Office reached out to the company to inquire about utilizing the company grounds for the necessary vehicle training course, the company was quick to say yes.
Officers came out early to set up a circuit on the roadways that circle the green space at the company headquarters. For 2 days, April 21st and 22nd, classes were run in the mornings and in the afternoons. The exercises performed covered low speed pursuits, how to make a felony take down, how to safely deploy stop sticks (spikes used to slow down and halt moving vehicles), and how to safely terminate a pursuit. In addition to the Jessamine County officers, all the R. J. Corman Railroad Police officers participated in the trainings as well.
R. J. Corman Chief of Police, Andy Midkiff, noted “During the training we discussed and practiced policies for real life pursuits. We went through exercises on how to terminate a pursuit and learned protocols for who can make the decision to terminate a pursuit. We performed drills on essential pursuit tactics using our emergency vehicle operations. During the training we were reminded of always wearing our body armor and utilizing our seatbelts at all times. Practicing live action scenarios allows officers to hone their skills and receive better field instruction.”
Jessamine County Sherriff’s Office Chief of Operations, Anthony Purcell, reported “The training went really well, and the physical area provided by R. J. Corman was outstanding. It is often a challenge to find a place secure from public access to run trainings like this. It is necessary to have a secure place so that the public is safe and there are no bystanders or people who may be alarmed by witnessing live action scenarios. The R. J. Corman grounds offered a unique setting where officers were able to fully focus on the exercises without distraction. Especially right now, with state level trainings being put on hold due to the Coronavirus situation, it was great to be able to hold these classes locally to keep our officers up to date on training and keep us ready to serve the community.”
R. J. Corman was happy to support the community and local law enforcement by providing the campus area needed to execute these important trainings. Safety is one of the company’s core values, and this extends beyond railway operations. R. J. Corman is committed to supporting our first responders who are out in the field keeping our local neighborhoods safe. The company is grateful for the Jessamine County Sheriff’s Department and all the men and women in uniform out on the front lines every day.
