Safety is our Number One Priority

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by Thomas Zermeno, PCI #1390T-B EMSCI #412T-B
Norman (OK) Police Department
IPMBA Education Coordinator

As IPMBA Instructors, our number one priority has always been – and will always be – the safety and well-being of our students. We pre-screen each of them with the PAR-Q (now the GAQ) and the Cycling Experience Query sheet. We ask them why they decided to come to a public safety cycling class and how prepared they feel. We do these things for the purpose of ensuring their readiness and enhancing their safety for the short time that they are with us. We do this for our number one priority, the one we all subscribe to and take very seriously while instructing: SAFETY. But one thing has thrown a huge wrench in our chain, so to speak. Now, we are not only responsible for THEIR safety, but also for the safety of their families, their coworkers, and their friends. We also need to consider OUR families, OUR coworkers, and OUR friends. How is it that what happens in bike school doesn’t STAY in the bike school, you ask?

COVID-19. Enough said.

We now have to consider, more than ever before, the health of our students beyond the usual scrapes, cuts, and broken bones.

Prior to COVID, we took for granted all of the wonderful training opportunities that IPMBA afforded us, including the regional Instructor Courses and the annual conference. We were very used to enjoying the networking and reunions that take place during the conferences. But this virus has caused us to take a long, hard look at the safety measures necessary to ensure a fun and SAFE training environment. As the virus spread, we found ourselves trying to figure out what works best, and more importantly, how we as an organization can continue to provide the best training in this new environment. How do we continue to spread the wealth of knowledge that starts with a basic course without inviting this – or any other – sneaky virus into our training?

In the face of many unknowns and in constantly changing environment, the board was tasked with providing guidance to instructors on the best practices for conducting a class while mitigating the risks of COVID. The dynamics of this virus change every day, sometimes hourly, affecting our everyday lives. We did our best to craft a document that would be firm yet flexible enough to meet the needs of a geographically diverse instructor cadre. More than a year later, the board feels that the guidance stands as true as it did in April 2020, when it was written. We have received valuable feedback from the cadre regarding the challenges of adapting our learning environments based on the prevailing conditions as well as national, state/provincial, and local laws and rules regarding COVID compliance. I for one had to take numerous COVID tests in order to travel to teach an Instructor Course, AND we all had to wear masks throughout the class. Yes, it was inconvenient and uncomfortable, but it helped keep me, my students, and my fellow instructor safe. And that is Priority One.

I encourage you to visit the COVID-19 Resource page on the IPMBA website (https://ipmba.org/resources/covid-19). Click on the Guidance for Instructing IPMBA Courses during COVID-19 and review its contents. We want to do our part to ensure the safety of our cadre and our students while still delivering superior training and following local laws and facility rules.

Make sure that your liability releases (waivers) have been updated to include COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. The updated waiver can be found on the COVID-19 resource page on the IPMBA website.

In sum, please remember to implement safety measures, maintain social distance when possible, pre-screen prior to each class, and maintain a clean learning environment so that we can all go home at the end of the training. Also, be sure to report any actual or potential exposures to those who may be affected as soon as possible. Thank you and stay safe!

Thomas joined the Norman Police Department in 2009. He is currently assigned to night shift patrol and is the training coordinator and instructor for the bike team. He has been active with IPMBA since 2011, after taking the IPMBA Police Cyclist Course. He was certified as a PSCI in 2013 at the Baton Rouge conference and cross-trained as an EMSCI in 2017. He became an Instructor Trainer in 2019, BRT certified in 2020 and BRT instructor certified in 2021. He currently serves on the IPMBA Board of Directors as the Education Coordinator. He can be reached at Thomas.Zermeno@yahoo.com.

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