Student Feedback

"This class was one of the most engaging classes I’ve been to in a while. The group activities allowed us a different learning style and I greatly appreciate it." -Milpitas PD

"This was the best training I’ve been to in a very long time. Thank you for all the effort you put into it." -Citrus Heights PD

"I’ve taken this update class 3 previous times. This one was the most enjoyable." -Anonymous

"Great presenters, very engaging!"

"You guys did a great job. I learned new things to help me improve." -Merced SO

"Outstanding trainers and a wealth of knowledge." -San Joaquin County S.O

"Great class, learned a lot of new things about liability. Thanks!" -Pacific Grove PD

"Thank you for your time and effort to teach us. We definitely learned a bunch!" -Milpitas PD

"Always a pleasure when taking a course with Gridiron. Don Jewell is an excellent instructor as well as his colleagues." -Vallejo PD

"The instructors were wonderful, very informative, lively and truly enjoy teaching. I would recommend this course to anyone." -Chico PD

"I have been thoroughly impressed by the quality of instruction and the enthusiasm and passion the instructors have been bringing to the class. After having not attended any offsite trainings in over a year, I had an awful experience last month with a four-day radar/lidar course. This has been a breath of fresh air. Thanks." -Alameda PD

"Well taught and learned many different techniques" -Vallejo PD

"Appreciate the effort put into the instruction." -Marin County SO

"Been to a few update classes, by far the best one. I was attentive the whole time, small classroom setting was great, and instructor had great material and was easy to understand" -Signal Hill PD

"Great class. We will be pushing our dept to send you our future FTO’s" -La Mesa PD

"This class kept my attention and opened my eyes to things I did not realize I was doing. A lot of great discussions and knowledge from not just the instructor but the other attendees." -Anonymous

"Great class even for an old dog like me, instructor was outstanding!!! I learned a lot, thank you!!" -San Bernardino Co. District Attorney

"Loved the hands on. Presentation based peer teaching methods" -Fremont PD 

"Very knowledgeable, passionate and engaging instructor" -Simi Valley PD

"Mr Jewell was pleasant, engaging, challenging, and knowledgeable." -La Mesa PD

"I enjoyed the emphasis on group discussions and projects, and avoiding lengthy lectures" -Torrance PD

"Overall, great course and an event better instructor" -Downey PD

"Great class. I appreciate how Jewell allowed the class to be the instructors for most of it. It was very engaging." -El Segundo PD

"I have taken many classes throughout my career. Considering this was a Zoom class, I was impressed by

how smoothly it went and found it better than many, if not most, of the in-person classes I attended. I had

some good instructors when I attended the FBI National Academy, and you guys did a better job over Zoom." -Self Sponsored

"Thank you for the format of the course. It wasn’t a rote, death-by-PowerPoint class. I was dreading a Zoom

class. This class exceeded all expectations." -Redondo Beach Police Department

"This was a very worthwhile class with excellent instructors. I'm much better equipped now to begin doing

backgrounds" -Self Sponsored

"Great class. Your virtual presentation is a first class experience. I felt as though I may have even gotten

more engagement through this type of class facilitation compared to in-person classes. Thank you for

providing this as an option to fulfill the background investigator course." -Escalon Police Department

"Very helpful class it was good having everyone involved." -CA Department of Justice

"I appreciate the instructors making it easy to understand the course and how to use the materials to be

used once it's needed to do a background." -Santa Maria Police Department

"Liked the class a lot. Instructors are well rounded on the subject and make the class fun and interesting.

Thank you!" -Self Sponsored

"Great class! I would highly recommend this class to others. The instructors were able to keep the class on

task despite being over Zoom." -Self Sponsored

"Fantastic overall. Instructors are knowledgeable and make the course compelling. Not once did I remember

looking at the clock, wishing that it was over. Everything was informative and engaging." -Self Sponsored

"Overall great class and very informative. Great instruction, clear, concise and well organized. I would have

no problem recommending this class and I would have no problem taking further classes these instructor

provide. (As long as my employer will pay for it!) This class was an out of pocket expense for me and worth

every penny, Jim and Matt, thank you both!" -Self Sponsored

"Many thanks for classmates and teachers - would most definitely recommend" -Palicon Group

"This was an incredible class, and the instructors were both highly knowledgeable and professional" -San Mateo PD

"Fantastic course, even better presentation. Truly appreciative of the passion and hard work that was obviously put into this training course!" -San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office

"Thank you for all the valuable information. Best training I've ever attended in my career thus far" -Santa Clara PD

"Love that every point, topic circled back on how we should teach the trainees" -Gilroy PD

"The instructors were amazing, knowledgeable, and made an impact on my outlook as a future FTO" -Santa Clara Sheriff’s Office

"Thank you for a great class - it was informative and very relevant. Going into this, I had a lot of questions for what to do as an FTO and this class laid a great foundation for it. I understand ALOT of the “why” now. And I feel confident going into next week (assigned a trainee already.)" -San Mateo PD

"This program is very informative and truly relays the importance of actually training an individual. It’s good for the trainee, the agency and most important the public" -San Bruno PD

"Great class. Appreciated the teach backs. Made the topics taught easier to understand" -Modesto PD

"I really enjoyed the student presentations even if they were uncomfortable." -Santa Cruz PD

"The program was interactive and a welcomed break from death by PowerPoint. Thank you!' -Santa Cruz PD

"Great class, all instructors were very knowledgeable" -San Mateo PD

"This was a fantastic course. I am grateful for having had the experience. Both instructors were

knowledgeable, and great at conveying the necessary concepts to know about preparing for, planning,

executing, completing a background investigation. The segment on report preparation was especially

helpful -both instructors were highly knowledgeable on the reports. I am happy to have taken the class." -Self Sponsored

"I really liked hearing from others on their experiences with backgrounds and how they wrote their

summaries." -CA Dept of Cannabis Control-Law Enforcement Div.

"Great instructors and the class was paced very well. Would absolutely recommend this course to fellow

coworkers." -Redondo Beach Police Department

"This was a well put together class and learn a lot. I didn't realize how much went into a background check

and very pleased with what I was able to learn in the short amount of time." -Self Sponsored

"Great class, very professional and accommodating." -Los Angeles Police Department

"Since Covid, I have taken 20-50 hours a year on zoom/TEAMS training. This was far and away the best, and

most practical use of time for a virtual training I've ever taken, and honesty, the next closest training isn't

even close to this one. Thank you for the thorough training. It's much appreciated." -Palicon Group

"Great course that includes a lot of information. Zoom was easy to use and I enjoyed the interactive side of

the course." -Del Norte County Sheriff's Office

"This was a very fast moving, yet low key and informal class. I enjoyed the subject matter and most of all,

the instructors (incl Betsy) who expressed their desire that everyone in the class understands the subject

matter. I want to also thank Jim for his very fast and helpful response to my late and last minute contact

with him prior to the start of the class; he helped me to quickly get set up for the class on the following day.

Again, thank you Jim Gordon and Betsy Bombola!!!" -Self Sponsored

"Great, engaging class." -Marin County District Attorney

"Great class!!   Well presented in a professional manner with continued engagement.  Materials will be brought back to my department to enhance our LE services.  Thank you." -Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office 

"Very professional. Often times you hear instructors swear and it diminishes credibility and professionalism so kuddos, it is a reminder for me to watch my language." -Petaluma Police Department 

"Class was presented well by the instructor. Class is beneficial to all police officers and departments" -Sonoma State Police Department

"Thank you for the great class. I wish more officers get the opportunity to attend." -Sebastopol Police Department 

"Well taught with PowerPoint, class/group discussion." -Ross PD

"Dialed Training." -Rohnert Park Public Safety

"This is one of the best training programs I've attended" -San Diego PD

"Overall good program.Thanks for not doing death by power points" -Laguna Beach PD

"I appreciate that we were able to guide some of the learning based on experience of FTO in the class and that we did not get murdered by powerpoints" -La Mesa PD

"Great class and great presenter. I attended an FTO Update from a different presenter and this was a much more well thought out class with more practical application." -Antioch PD

"Excellent class. Instructor was very knowledgable and good teacher." -Cathedral City PD 

"Good information and involvement with the class and course materials" -Anonymous

"Class was good. Enjoyed it" -Ridgecrest PD

"Don’t change a thing. I really enjoyed all aspects of the program." -LA School Police

"Very well planned and explained content. Presenter was knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the topic. One of, if not the best training I have taken." -Los Angeles School Police Department

"Thank you for proving coffee and daily snacks. The class was fluid and the day went by very quick. Teach backs are crucial to demonstrate effective learning from the student (us). Thanks for a great class." -National City Police Department 

"I loved the interactiveness of this course. As an introverted person it really brought a lot out of me and helped me feel comfortable speaking and interacting with officers from other agencies." -Los Angeles School Police Department

"I learned a lot from this class! I have spoken to other TO’s that went to different trainings in other counties and it was not this extensive or hands on." -UCLA Police Department 

"Mr. Jewell was very knowledgable and passionate about this course. He was very professional and understanding." -Hemet PD

"I enjoyed the class, I initially pushed back on the class, because I did not want to get in front of the class. I have to admit that Jewell was a great instructor and the fact that we had to do some research for this class made  me realize how much more he prepared me for my FTO assignment. Jewell thank you sharing your knowledge and year of experience with us." -Hemet PD

"Course has a lot of useful information." -Pacifica PD

"Very informative" -San Joaquin County Sheriff Animal Services 

"Great class" -Hemet PD

"Great instructors! Great class!" -San Francisco District Attorney’s Office

"Enjoyed the hands on experience and loved the real life scenarios" -San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office

"This was a very informative and fun course. Jewell and Doughty are phenomenal instructors!!!" -Tulare County Sheriff

"Both instructors were very knowledgeable and helpful. Thank you both very much!!!" -San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office 

"Great program, very knowledgeable instructors" -BART PD

"Good class thanks for having me" -Tulare County Sheriff

"This class was a refresher for skills I have not used in a while." -San Francisco PD

"Best FTO class I've been to. Thank you!" -Belmont PD

"Great class engagement and thank you for not using death by PowerPoint. This class really stressed the importance of liability and how it amplifies with a trainee." -Martinez PD

"Great course! The way the class was presented was very relevant to how we’ll be teaching officers in the field." -Fowler PD

"Instructor maintained high energy throughout the course, and kept the class engaged." -San Joaquin Sheriff Office

"Thank you so much for your knowledge and guidance." -San Mateo Police Department

"The class was informative and engaging. I have taken a post FTO class in the past that only focused on liability and essentially how to fire someone. This class provided much more info relative to how to be an effective trainer and I am glad I received this training." -Belmont PD

"This program was excellent. I learned so much and it was taught very well. I’ll definitely recommend this course to others in my department." -UCSF PD

"Great program. The content was relevant to Non POST and Non officer students" -SF Park Rangers

"Great program that I’m grateful for attending. I was able to learn every single day and I feel like I obtained all the knowledge needed to become a great training officer." -San Joaquin County Probation

"This class was very informative and inspiring. At times it was challenging and the breaks were greatly appreciated" -Pacifica Police Department

"Very interactive and engaging course" -Fresno Sheriffs Office
"Thanks for keeping it fun!" -Anonymous

"Great class. Very informative" -Fremont PD

"Well done, keep up the good work!" -Anonymous

"Outstanding instructor. Most enjoyable training I’ve attended over 12 year in LE" -Anonymous

"Overall outstanding class that broke down numerous concepts of teaching. It was a true train the trainer type of class. Best of all it fixed my fear of public speaking. Great job Don!" -San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office

"Instructor Jewell was extremely knowledgeable and informative. He instructed with enthusiasm and confidence throughout the course. His passion for the work he does shines through his work. I will be recommending this course to our training coordinator in hopes to use it as our standard FTO update." -East Bay Regional Park District PD

"I thoroughly enjoyed this course. Being an update course and, based on my initial FTO course, I entered the course unsure as to how it would be presented. This course was informative and engaging to students as opposed to the traditional power point and reading material. I believe the course gave me many tools to move forward to be a better training officer that will fulfill the needs of my trainees and protect myself and agency from previously unforeseen liability." -Atascadero Police Department

"The class was well put together and engaging. The material covered drastically improved my knowledge for documentation and ways to improve our FTO program. I will be excited to recommend this class and program to fellow FTO’s at my department." -Ventura PD

"I appreciate the instructor’s expertise.  He presented information I wasn’t previously aware of and clearly presented the importance of FTO/ department liability.  Although I probably won’t remember the names of the various teaching domains, he made the concepts easy to understand." -Gilroy PD

"This is the 3rd FTO Update I have attended and has been, by far, the most informative and relevant." -UCLA PD

"Great updates on new legal issues. Best update class one had. Will definitely implement some of the training techniques" -San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office

"Overall what a great class. Very engaging with class and including class participation. Felt like it was a class led teaching style with the instructor pointing us in the right direction. Made the days go by quickly and enjoyed working with others agencies around the room as each day changed." -Paso Robles Police Department

"This was a great class. Your instruction was better than almost all other classes I've attended in my career" -King City PD

"Thank you for going over the legal aspect. Non of this was covered in my first FTO class. So it’s nice to be more educated in this area as I felt I was lacking it when I realized on our first day." -Modesto Police Department

"I learned a ton. Especially with liability and what changes need to be made to my FTP. Thank you!" -Alameda PD

"I enjoy the amount of teach backs and classroom participation." -Anonymous

"I liked that there was a lot of class engagement and kept everyone in the discussion" -Antioch PD

"Over all great instructors and class" -DLA San Joaquin PD

"Course was EXCELLENT. Instructors Jewell and Henderson were second to none! This course was extremely insightful! Thank you" -San Joaquin County Probation

"The instructor displayed extensive knowledge of the subject matter, maintained a high level of professionalism, and conveyed a strong passion for the topic, all of this significantly made the learning environment more enjoyable" -Menlo Park PD

"The program is overall extremely influential in terms of solidifying the value and importance of having good FTO’s for all agencies and the liability they carry in a department. Overall was provided with a wide range of influence to help better myself as an officer for my department" -Merced PD

"Very educational and fun" -Department of Defense - Defense Logistics Agency 

"Excellent training that I will utilize throughout my career, and not just in a training role" -Bart PD

"Very well at tying Day 1 information throughout whole training. Everything circled back into itself and showed its relevancy" -Tulare PD

"Thank you for the instructions. Legal liability portion of the course was great" -Novato PD

"Course challenges officers to think to not only be solid trainers, but also to be cognizant of the legalities and policy guidelines. I learned to work efficiently even in uncomfortable situations" -Tulare PD

"I enjoyed the classroom portion especially how involved we were as students" -Livermore PD

"Instructors were knowledgeable in the materials and objectives. Gave good advise as it pertains to completing FTO related topics and duties" -Tracy PD

"This was a very good class with a lot of tangible information. I feel much more comfortable with training moving forward. Both presenters were excellent and very knowledgeable" -Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office

"Informative" -Tracy PD

"Very well organized course. Good used of Google Drive and Docs. Links were helpful" -Santa Rosa PD

"Great course! I'm glad I took it. It will help me conduct better background investigations" -Self Sponsored

"Thank you all. I will keep these skills for the rest of my life. I feel prepared to jump into a background." -Self-Sponsored (Menifee Police)

"Thank you! Excellent training and fun instructors." -Self Sponsored

"Based on this class and instruction I would be ready to start background investigations" -Murrieta PD

"Great class! Great instructors! Very engaging and lots of good info!" -Self Sponsored

"Great class, very informative!" -Private Investigator Company

"Jim and Betsy i want to thank you guys for your patience in explaining all this and the why. You both have a great skill set and bring different experiences which is very helpful from this side of the computer. This was my first online course and i was worried with all the tech issues that could happen. I would take another online course with this experience. I did have a few connection issues but you guys were there to make sure I was able to get back on and stay with the class. Thank both of you very much" -San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office

"Great class and teachers! You guys were amazing." -LAPD

"Thank you so much! I learned a lot during this course." - Long Beach PD
"Great instructors. Very approachable, easy to work with, and well versed in this course. A++" -Self Sponsored

"Overall, great webinar course. Better than expected, especially with the organization of the files and thforms that are needed for the process. Makes things easier to follow and to know what is needed for the background process. I had no knowledge of the background process and went in without knowing any details or procedures. I have a clearer picture now of what is expected and how the process works. I would definitely recommend this course to others." -San Gabriel PD

"Excellent class. Format was great, the Zoom thing worked. Big thank you to the presenters. They were great." -Private Investigation Company

"Great class with very knowledgeable instructors. I learned a lot and feel very confident in my ability to conduct a thorough investigation based on their teaching. Thank you so much!!!" -Contra Costa County Probation 

"Gridiron training has always delivered good classes and content. Trainer Don Jewell exemplifies this standard in his teaching and rapport with the class." -Piedmont PD

"Mr. Jewell's knowledge, enthusiasm and presentation are superior.  He clearly loves what he does and is a highly effective teacher.  I love the group interaction and being able to learn and use different teaching methods. This was a great course and was very beneficial." -Contra Costa County Sheriff 

"Awesome program. So much information gained." -Contra Costa County Sheriff 

"I have taken this course with other companies. This was by far better training due to the methods of teaching." -Anonymous

"Great refresher course on best practices, thanks!" -South San Francisco PD

"The instructor was fantastic! He leads students to think critically and come up with solutions, while being a valuable resource of information. I would take another class with this instructor." -South San Francisco PD

"The instructor was extremely knowledgeable and made all the course content easy to understand and practical to our profession.  There are no improvements I would make to this course." -Sunnyvale DPS

"I appreciated all the teaching on learning styles and really explaining the remediation plans" -Rohnert Park DPS

"I cannot think of a program improvements." -Stanford DPS

"This was a well thought  out training class. I was very impressed with the level of training and knowledge I received from the instructor. I feel better prepared to be  an FTO at my new department." -Livermore PD

"Don made this class both educational and enjoyable" -Marin County Sheriff

"Very solid course and presented well." -Tehama County District Attorney-Bureau of Investigations

"I appreciate the instructors, it's a good class" -El Monte Police Department

"Great class, actually learned a lot" -Los Angeles Police Department 

"You guys are awesome!" -El Monte PD

"Good training course, very informative." -El Monte Police Department

"I enjoyed the class. The instructors were great and we had a great group on participants. Thank you!" -Self Sponsored

"Both instructors were great. Organized and easy to follow. I appreciated this class and the online format was great. Thank you! I feel more confident going back to work and can't wait to apply what I have learned." -LAPD

"I did not think I would like the Web format, but our instructors were organized. They had materials and files ready for working together in small and large groups. Actually impressed at well it went. If POST approves other web-based training, it should be modeled after Gridirons format and instructors." -San Francisco Sheriff's Office

"Enjoyed training. Usually not a fan of zoom meetings, however, this was engaging and challenging. Thank you for your time." -LAPD

"The best online class i have taken, great job mixing things up with groups and pace of class overall" -San Diego Harbor Police Department

"Thank you for your time. It was great training." -El Monte Police Department

"Thank you for your time and teaching me and the rest of us about backgrounds." -California Highway Patrol

"I thought that doing this class over zoom would be difficult but you guys made it fun." -Self Sponsored

"Great job! Speed of information was good. Enjoyed the work groups instead of listening to an instructor talk all week." -Self Sponsored

"Thank you for making the training online. I was able to take this course from home!" -Department of State Hospitals - Napa

"Really enjoyed the break out group I was assigned to and loved the instructors who made this week pretty darn fun! :o) Thank you!" -Private Investigator Company

"The hosts ability to navigate an entire week-long course via zoom was impressive. It is one of the best, of the hundreds of courses I have attended. Zoom was not a negative in any way with the mastery of the topics and platform that you both showed. Thank you!!!" -San Diego Community College District PD

"I hope to take more trainings with Gridiron in the future and wouldn't hesitate to recommend this class to other investigators or my previous agency." -Private Investigator Company

"Thank you. Zoom version of POST classes is so much more tolerable than the in-person classes." -Self Sponsored

"Overall, great course. As a former investigator, it's nice to see a comprehensive training curriculum where we used to have nothing." -California Highway Patrol

"One of the better courses with mixture of instruction and hands on assignments" -Self Sponsored

"Thank you for sharing your time and knowledge with us!" -Carlsbad Police Department

"The website and Google Docs is awesome! It really helped keep everything together. You kept me active/busy/mentally engaged every day with activities and the day was over before I knew it! I normally never recommend Zoom trainings, but I would definitely recommend this one. :)" -Paso Robles PD

"Very good course. I was reluctant to take this course because of the online aspect, but it was a very good course." -Central Marin Police Authority

"Very well structured class. Very easy to learn." -Self Sponsored

"Thank you!! great class!!!" -Clovis Unified School District Police Department

"Everything was great, good as is. I just need to get used to Zoom and digital learning" -Self Sponsored

"Informative and enjoyable course. Engaging and the group work rooms provided a better understanding of the topics." -San Joaquin County Probation

"I learned a lot! Thank you!" -Self Sponsored

"Enjoyed it! Very informative" -Santa Rosa PD

"Best Post class so far" Cal Fire Law Enforcemnt

"One of best LE classes I have been to" -Anonymous

"Thank you for a fantastic experience!" -Anonymous

"It was a really good class" Yuba City PD

"I enjoyed the teaching style and appreciated the reminders to seek the info I needed. I was put in the same place as a trainee" -Willits PD

"Excellent class" -College of Marin

"I appreciated the Admin perspective offered on certain topics. It is interesting to see how the other side works and thinks" -Contra Costa Community College District PD

"Loved the teaching method" -Contra Costa Community College District PD

"I thought the way the course was instructed was great. It provided great training in a place where there was room for open discussion" -Anonymous

"I learned a lot of things I didn't know about. Such as Blooms taxonomy and other learning domains. Thank you!" -Monterey County Sheriffs Office

"Great course presenters, they kept the class active and was not death by PowerPoint which was really helpful. Thank you" -Sonoma County Sheriffs Office

"The instructors were obviously highly knowledgeable in the subject areas. The instructors use facilitation well to teach. The class was engaging and kept us mentally active" -Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety

"Thank you for your hard work and great training! The training far exceeded what I was expecting" -Willits PD

"Thank you, I truly enjoyed this class and feel prepared for my new role" -Novato PD

"Great class I appreciated the instructors experience and knowledge" -Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office

"This class opened my eyes to the real responsibilities an FTO has and was a great class" -Yuba City PD

"I like the real world examples. I was glad this is an interactive class and not just teaching by PowerPoint. Thank you!" -Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office

"I very much appreciated the instruction and both instructors. They were well knowledgeable and provided awesome feedback. Thank you for sharing your expertise!" -Anonymous

"This class exceeded my expectations. The class work load was extensive and pushed me as a learner. I greatly appreciated the dedication of the instructors and their dedication to us as students" -Chico Police Department

"This course was exceptional. Both instructors were very passionate about the subject matter which creates an excellent learning environment. I appreciated their teaching styles which incorporated the students very well. I’d highly recommend this course." -Rohnert Park DPS

"10/10 recommend the basic FTO certification course with Gridiron training. The instructors were clear and concise with teaching the course. Trust the method to the madness" -Atascadero PD

"I absolutely recommend attending the basic FTO course" -Anonymous

"Wonderful course with great instructing" -San Luis Obsipo County Sheriff

"Appreciate the engaging activities as opposed to PowerPoint presentation" -Atascadero PD

"Great class!" -San Luis Obispo County Sheriff

"Great teaching, really took a lot out of the class. Also enjoyed the real aspect and the reality of being a field training officer" -Grover Beach PD

"Course is very well organized and put together, very well thought out. It was clear that the instructors were very knowledgeable and passionate in their craft" -San Luis Obispo County Sheriff

"Great class. I like that it was not PowerPoint driven and involved exercises with critical thinking" -Santa Clara County Sheriff 

"Wonderful program" -Atascadero State Hospital 

"I appreciate you gearing scenarios toward our environment, I.e. custodial vs. patrol" -Department of State Hospitals- Atascadero

"Thank you, learned a lot about who I can be as an trainer and what I can offer" -Union City PD

"This course provided subject matter experts. The information was very valuable. The importance of the FTO position was appropriately stated. Thank you for all the good information" -Paso Robles PD

"Well presented and taught. Provided the information needed to be successful in this position" -Modesto PD

"This course, and instructors, surpassed my expectations. I was expecting “death by PowerPoint”, but it was the opposite. This course was engaging and addressed all types of learning styles" -Department of State Hospitals, Atascadero 

"Overall I was impressed with how engaging this course was.  I have been to numerous POST courses which were dry and unengaging.  Both Don and Jeff were impressive in their articulation, personal style, and obvious passion for this topic" -Clovis PD

"The learning techniques I learned from Don are invaluable. I will be utilizing him and his teachings as a resource in training for the rest of my career" -Atascadero State Hospital

"This class exceeded my expectations. I was engaged with the entire class. I acquired a lot of knowledge" -Menlo Park PD

"Very good class. Class participation fostered a positive learning environment and reduced stress" -Escondido PD

"Loved the training" -San Mateo PD

"This class exceeded my expectations. The class was informative and interesting. It's hard to think of any areas of improvement. Lots of class engagement. I felt like the class kept me awake and engaged all week. The instructors were TOP NOTCH. Thank you" -Escondido PD

"First FTO 40hr Post Course that I've been to which I've enjoyed. The course/instructors were hands on which is a lot better than death by powerpoint" -Anonymous

"Thank you for making this a great week" -Anonymous

"I really enjoyed this class and trainers. Thank you for giving me more information on how to be a great FTO" -Anonymous

"Great class!" -Anonymous

"This was the most engaging and interactive class I have taken. It pushed me beyond my comfort zone and encouraged me to practice my leadership skills" -Anonymous

"Thank you for a very interactive course, which I appreciated" -Anonymous

"Thank you for your passion and time" -Anonymous

"Thank you for a good week of training. I look forward to applying what was learned" -Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation

"There is a lot of information that I did not know I needed that I got from this course. I am appreciative of the instructor's knowledge and expertise to identify my deficiencies and be able to push me beyond my comfort level" -Anonymous

“I learned a lot in this course and will feel more confident with my next trainee” -University of California Irvine PD

“This class was very informative. For someone who is not a fan of public speaking, this class was open, friendly, and judgment free allowing me to be comfortable. Would recommend this class to others” -Seal Beach PD

“Hands down the best FTO Course and in the top five of all courses I’ve taken in 35 years” -Laguna Beach PD

"I will recommend this course to my peers" -Laguna  Beach PD

"I like how [the] instructor allowed for open discussion and personal knowledge/stories [that] related to topics discussed" -Hawthorne PD

"Course was fantastic, engaging content, knowledgable instructors, and plenty of oppportunities for hands-on learning. Highly reccomend it." -Placer County Probation

"The course was challenging but rewarding. The content of instruction highlighted the complexity of a background investigation. I feel confident that I can now do a thorough background investigation." -San Francisco PD

"The program is really great but there’s a lot of information to learn about BG. But overall great class with a lot of information!" -California Department of Justice

"Very interactive training and well organized, knowledgeable instructors provided a lot of great insights and tips based on real experience" -Bay Area Rapid Transit PD

"Was originally apprehensive about attending a 32 hour zoom class for the topic, but it was actually very helpful and interactive. Very well organized and hands on class." -Ventura County District Attorney

"Great course. For an on-line course, this was my first one, but i really enjoyed it. Thank you so much!" -Carlsbad PD

"This was one of my first trainings on Zoom, rather than a meeting or anything else on Zoom. I think both of you are great at running the class at a distance and keeping people engaged. Thanks for your time." -Self Sponsered