The Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s request to seal a two-year deal with San Bernardino County for use of its motor training grounds, where deputies will learn driving skills.
Under the agreement, which is expected to cost about $125,000 between now and June 2021, Riverside County sheriff’s deputy-trainees will utilize the San Bernardino County sheriff’s Emergency Vehicle Operations Center, or EVOC, for basic and refresher courses.
The EVOC, located just over a mile south of the Interstate 15/215 interchange, will replace a space on the west end of Ontario International Airport, where recruits from the Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center previously engaged in training exercises, including simulated pursuits.
Bianco said the Ontario location became unsafe because of broken asphalt and other hazards.
According to sheriff’s officials, alternate places were scouted for emergency vehicle training, including the Storm Stadium parking lot in Lake Elsinore and the Club Raceway in Thermal, but none had the appropriate features.
“Training requires ground space large enough to safely train students in emergency vehicle maneuvers at high speeds,” according to a sheriff’s statement.
The board-approved contract with the San Bernardino County Real Estate Services Department will result in flat annual permit charges of $12,000 per fiscal year, as well as fees per cadet and fees for actual hours when the EVOC’s tracks are dedicated to Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center activities.
All of the costs will be covered through funding from the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards & Training, according to sheriff’s officials.