Host a CATO Training Class

What you need to know to Host a CATO Training Class

Hosting a CATO training class brings tactical training directly to your agency, eliminating the need for your officers to travel. This local convenience significantly reduces travel and lodging costs and enables you to train more personnel efficiently.


Contact for Hosting Inquiries

Direct Contact: For specific details about hosting, please contact us at training@catotraining.org.

Bringing our instructors to your location instead of sending your team to ours reduces travel expenses and enhances training accessibility.


Host Agency Commitments

  • Training Venues: You must coordinate venues for each training day, ensuring they are appropriate for the planned activities, including live-fire ranges as needed.
  • Range Requirements: The host agency must provide an adequate range for live-fire training, including target backstops, stands, and other necessary equipment.
  • Logistics and Support: From securing the venue to handling day-of-event needs, hosting agencies play a critical role in ensuring the smooth operation of training events.

Venue and Logistics

Venue Needs: Securing a suitable venue is crucial. Depending on the training, your agency may need to provide facilities such as classrooms, ranges, and buildings that support the training requirements.

Logistical Support: Your responsibilities begin upon agreeing to host and continue through venue coordination and event marketing. Event-day support includes managing logistical challenges and attendee needs.


Benefits of Hosting

The primary benefit of hosting is the convenience of bringing high-level tactical training right to your doorstep. This saves significant time and money and streamlines the training process.


Special Courses and Requirements

Hosting the Chemical Agent, Less-Lethal, and/or Diversionary Device Instructor Course: Suitable venues such as large open areas suitable for the deployment of chemical agents, less-lethal munitions, and/or diversionary devices.  For CAI, a chemical agent exposure structure is required.  Additionally, we ask the host agency to provide an armored vehicle and another vehicle suitable for demonstrating vehicle barricades. These must be free of occupants unless approved by CATO and suitable for the use of training munitions.

Classroom Requirements: The classroom should accommodate up to twenty-four adults and have necessary A/V capabilities, proper climate control, and accessible bathrooms.

Training Venues: These may include spaces such as schools, office buildings, or churches, equipped with the necessary utilities. Ideal venues feature large open spaces for practical drills and multiple rooms for scenario-based training.


Community and Property Coordination

Host agencies must communicate clearly with property owners and the community, including by posting signs that indicate police training is in progress.


Important Note on Training Seats

While hosting a course, it's crucial to understand that free or reduced-cost training seats are not guaranteed. Any complimentary seats are granted on a case-by-case basis and require approval from the director of training. Hosting is primarily about the logistical convenience and cost savings of local training rather than free training opportunities.