There were thirty students in the class. One local group had five or six students, and one traveling group brought four. Most groups had two or three operators, and a couple sent a singleton. They hailed from nearby counties, or far away states. There were SWAT team members from the home state of Georgia (including state and local guys), California, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Virginia. By my count at least 10 agencies were represented, ranging from full-time, big-city teams to small, local collateral-duty teams like mine.
Cost for the class was $800. Graduating requires attendance in the course, and passing a written exam at the end of the class.
The Venue: GPSTC
Though NTOA classes are held all over the country, this class was held at the George Pubic Safety Training Center (GPSTC). Located in Forsyth, GA, the GPSTC is home to various academies including a fire academy, Georgia’s basic law enforcement training, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Georgia State Patrol academies.
