Massachusetts State Police: Forensics Group Web-Based Training for Breath Test Operators
The Massachusetts State Police Forensics Services Group is responsible for the collection, analysis and preservation of evidence associated with criminal investigations for the State of Massachusetts. Within this group, the Office of Alcohol Testing (“OAT”) oversees the breath test program for the State of Massachusetts.
The OAT certifies approximately 7,800 breath test operators every three years, and was using approximately 25 breath test instructors to certify these operators. The OAT wanted to replace the breath test operator training with a web-based training that still met all the requirements of the live training.
Monarch Media designed the online training to include all the material in the live training but with more interactivity for the learner (e.g., drag and drop activities, fill-in-the-blank questions). The web-based training also includes a 3D simulation of the breathalyzer machine in action.
In addition to creating the six modules that make up the course, Monarch also maintains the Moodle Learning Management System that holds the course and the 25-question assessment that officers must pass to become certified to operate the breathalyzer machine. The LMS platform provides a database with saved assessments and certificates.
A sample of the course including access to the breathalyzer simulation (part 6) can be found here.