Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman is pleased to announce the acquisition of two state-of-the-art driving simulators.

The PatrolSim law enforcement driving simulator from L3Harris provides hands-on, experiential training for emergency first responders, offering real-world experience without risk to people or equipment. The purchase of the simulators was made possible through a $240,000 grant from Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation.

The simulators are replicas of actual commercial vehicle compartments, and the size, weight, turning radius, tire, and suspension characteristics can be changed to simulate any emergency vehicle. They’re able to present drivers with changing weather conditions, traffic densities, lighting parameters, and several other external factors to give the most realistic experience possible. The simulators will enhance driver training and help reduce accidents, improve fuel efficiency and limit maintenance and damage to fleet vehicles.

“I’m grateful to the Barancik Foundation for making this purchase possible,” said Sheriff Hoffman. “The simulators will better prepare our emergency first responders to anticipate and avoid potential hazards when responding to calls.”