In a recent TASER Training Bulletin (19.0-14) regarding Recommended Spark Test Duration, users were advised to make sure that the Spark Test run for the full five seconds. TASER cited a need for an appropriate amount of time for the unit to do its’ internal diagnostics. They also warned that a short test would not indicate a weak or failing battery in a short duration test.
They also warned about “concerns over prematurely shutting down the CEW in the field after performing repeated short spark tests.”
At a recent training I attended we were discussing training scars — those things that seem like a good idea in training that come back to bite us on the street.
The logic behind a short duration check at the beginning of your shift was to save the battery of the TASER. Shorter duration equaled longer battery life, which only seems logical. However, when you are routinely shutting off the device after only a brief activation, day after day, week after week, that duration can become ingrained in your brain through that many repetitions.
One agency was having a reported 60 percent failure rate with their TASER on the street. Needless to say, this caused concern and an investigation was conducted. It turned out that officers were firing the TASER and then turning them off, shutting down the application prematurely with the expected results-suspects who failed to have the desired response. The short duration Spark Test was determined to be the culprit.
Constantly analyze what you do in training and ask yourself if there could be unintended consequences on the street. Unfortunately, training scars usually have to be identified after they have taken place on the street, sometimes resulting in real scars, or worse.
So good training requires we run the check for the full five seconds. Make sure you spread the word to your patners.
