THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY OF A POLICE EXPLORER IS TO ATTEND WEEKLY MEETINGS. WEEKLY MEETINGS CONSIST OF TRAINING IN TRAFFIC STOPS, TRAFFIC CRASHES, FIRST AID/CPR, DEFENSIVE TACTICS, BUILDING SEARCHES, BOMB THREAT RESPONSE, IN PROGRESS EMERGENCIES, TRAFFIC CONTROL, CRIME SCENE PROCESSING, AND OTHER TOPICS AS NEEDED. ALL TRAINING IS GENERALLY LIFE LIKE AND HANDS ON. IN ADDITION TO WEEKLY MEETINGS, 4 -8 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE MUST BE COMPLETED AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ON A MONTHLY BASIS. THIS COMMUNITY SERVICE CAN BE PERFORMED IN VARIOUS DIVISIONS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. POLICE EXPLORERS MAY ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES AFTER CERTIFICATIONS ARE OBTAINED:
PATROL RIDE A LONG: AFTER 3 MONTHS OF FIELD TRAINING ON VARIOUS TOPICS, OBTAINING CPR CERTIFICATION, AND OBTAINING TRAFFIC CONTROL CERTIFICATION, AN EXPLORER MAY RIDE A LONG WITH A UNIFORMED PATROL OFFICER IN A MARKED PATROL VEHICLE. RIDE A LONGS MAY BE CONDUCTED ONCE A WEEK.
COMMUNICATIONS OBSERVATION: AFTER 3 MONTHS OF FIELD TRAINING AN EXPLORER MAY OBSERVE THE FUNCTION OF THE COMMUNICATIONS CENTER. COMMUNICATIONS OBSERVATIONS MAY BE COMPLETED ONCE A WEEK.
PISTOL TEAM: EXPLORERS MAY BECOME A MEMBER OF THE PISTOL COMPETITION TEAM AFTER 3 MONTHS OF FIELD TRAINING.
OUTSIDE OF THE ABOVE ACTIVITIES, EXPLORERS PROVIDE TRAFFIC AND CROWD CONTROL AT CITY EVENTS, REGISTER BICYCLES AT PERIODIC BIKE RODEOS, PARTICIPATE IN OPERATION SANTA, AND CONDUCT VARIOUS OTHER FUNCTIONS AT THE REQUEST OF THE CITY OF GULFPORT AND THE GULFPORT POLICE DEPARTMENT.
EXPLORERS ATTEND 3 OUT-OF-TOWN WEEKEND DELEGATES MEETINGS A YEAR. THIS IS AN ALL EXPENSE PAID TRIP FOR EXPLORERS TO PARTICIPATE IN SHOOTING COMPETITIONS, TRAINING, AND THE FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF POLICE EXPLORERS DELEGATES MEETING. THIS MEETING MAY BE HELD ANYWHERE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
THERE IS AN ANNUAL STATE COMPETITION. THIS IS A WEEK LONG EVENT HOSTED BY THE FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF POLICE EXPLORERS. EXPLORERS COMPETE IN VARIOUS LIFE-LIKE HANDS ON POLICE SCENARIOS NUMEROUS TIMES A DAY FOR THE WEEK. THIS TRIP IS ALL EXPENSES PAID AND MAY BE HELD ANYWHERE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
EXPLORERS ALSO HAVE REGULAR SOCIAL OUTINGS SUCH AS CAMPING TRIPS AND MOVIE NIGHTS.
