Law enforcement officers are often put in the position of entering a space without knowing exactly what they will encounter. This puts them at great risk for bodily harm and exposure to toxic substances. They are also exposed to a variety of odors that may be overwhelming or dangerous. It is vital that officers are highly trained and prepared for almost any situation. SensoryCo provides scent for law enforcement training to help officers anticipate and tolerate what might be behind closed doors.
Providing real-life conditions to officers in a training atmosphere can help officers be aware of toxic substances and also desensitize them to overwhelming or nauseating odors. Whether it is to avoid a dangerous situation by recognizing the smell of a meth lab or being able to continue an investigation without feeling sick while in the same room as a decomposing body, scent training helps officers do their jobs better and more safely. Repeated exposure to these substances in training (stress inoculation training) provides a basis for more appropriate reactions in real-life situations.
Many officers are involved in the fight to control drug activity and may find themselves in illegal, makeshift drug labs during the investigation or pursuit of other law enforcement activity. Often known as “clandestine drug labs,” with the combination of chemicals and flammable substances, these situations pose major potential risks for officers. Two real threats are inadvertent ignition of flammable or explosive materials and exposure to toxic chemicals. Scent training with the chemicals associated with meth labs can help officers to be aware of the odors found in a clandestine meth lab and potentially deal with these threats in the safest possible way.
Law enforcement personnel may also be confronted with death and disease. Bodies begin to release gases within hours of expiration, which is often how dead bodies are even noticed. The odors of a further decomposing body has been described as “overwhelming and vile,” often causing nausea and retching. Repeated exposure to these odors in a training situation can help desensitize an officer and allow them to ignore the odor at least enough to concentrate on the necessary investigation. Or even prevent post-traumatic stress disorders.
The more officers can train in real-life scenarios, being exposed to the hazards and stressors they will face on the job, the better prepared they are to handle those situations in the field. Exposure to sensory experiences is an important part of this training. SensoryCo provides ultra-realistic odors and malodors and include a range of scents including those related to law enforcement training, hazardous chemicals, choking gasses, gunfire and more. Learning to deal with these odors in a training situation prepares our law enforcement officers to handle the extreme high-risk situations inherent to the job.