Driver Training

• Vehicle handling and design characteristics
• Cushion of safety
• Backing
• Special conditions (night driving, adverse conditions, hydroplaning, impaired drivers)
• Vehicle inspection
• City, two-lane and multi-lane driving
• Driving with lights and sirens

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Coaching the Emergency Vehicle Operator: Fire
Course length: Approximately 6 hours

This course is designed for career and volunteer fire personnel. Topics include:

• Emergency and non-emergency defensive driving techniques
• Vehicle inspections
• Responding to a call
• Backing
• Dealing with adverse weather conditions
• Vehicle characteristics
• Braking techniques
• Night driving
• Fire ground considerations

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Coaching the Emergency Vehicle Operator: Police
Course length: Approximately 5-6 hours

This course is designed for law enforcement personnel. Topics include:

• Cushion of safety
• Driving with lights and siren
• Two-lane roadway driving
• Safety belts
• Off-street driving considerations
• Dealing with adverse weather conditions
• Vehicle inspection
• Driving in congested areas

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Coaching the Forklift Operator
Course length: 4.5 hours

This course is for all lift truck operators (skid steer and wheeled), transfer station and recycling employees. Participants are encouraged to observe, analyze and discuss recommended safety practices. Topics include:

• Pre-start safety inspection
• Lift truck design considerations
• Safety procedures for picking up, moving with and setting down a load
• OSHA reminder points

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Coaching the Maintenance Vehicle Operator
Course length is 4.5 hours

This course is designed for all vehicle operators. Topics include:

• Collision prevention through scanning, communication, cushion of safety
• Safe driving techniques for common driving situations
• Operator safety at the workplace
• Vehicle inspection
• Safety at moving worksites; and much more

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Coaching the Passenger Vehicle Operator
Course length: Approximately 2 hours

This course is designed for municipal drivers who operate cars and pickup trucks. Topics include:

• Addresses pre-trip safety items, including air bags and seat belts
• What to look for on rental vehicles before accepting them
• Safe following distances
• Blind spots
• Job-related stress
• Identifying and controlling negative driving behaviors (road rage)
• Excessive speed and backing

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Coaching the Refuse Truck Operator
Course length: 5 hours

This specialized course is designed for refuse truck drivers and crews and was developed by the National Solid Waste Management Association. Drivers actively participate by analyzing and discussing ways to handle potential collision situations. Topics include:

• Collision-producing situations common to the refuse truck driver
• Practical defensive driving techniques that allow the driver to read and respond safely to traffic conditions
• Importance of safety
• Vehicle inspection
• Cushion of safety
• Backing
• Crew safety

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Coaching the Utility Truck Driver II
Course length: 4 hours

This course is appropriate for gas, electric, telephone and cable drivers and is one of the few available driver training programs specifically designed for the utility industry. Topics include:

• Covers critical collision-preventing techniques
• Familiarity with the vehicle
• Cushion of safety
• Blind spots
• Scanning
• Safe following distances
• Vehicle positioning
• Safe backing and parking

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Defensive Driving 6-Hour Course (DDC-6)
Course length: 6 hours

This is a National Safety Council instructor-certified course designed for the adult learner. It can be taught in two, three-hour sessions or one, six-hour session. Instruction is accomplished through the use of fully integrated materials, including visual aids, lecture and discussion. Topics include:

• Defining defensive driving and instruction in how to prevent collisions
• Focus on the most important person, the driver, including mental and physical conditions that affect driving
• Safety belts and other safety equipment
• Effects of drugs and alcohol and defenses against impaired drivers
• How to handle driving conditions in urban and rural areas, and expressway driving

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Defensive Driving 6-Hour Course (DDC-6) for Law Enforcement
Course length: 6 hours

This is a national instructor-certified course designed for the adult learner. It can be taught in two, three-hour sessions, or one, six-hour session. Topics include:

• Defining defensive driving
• How to prevent collisions
• Focus on the most important person, the driver, with discussion of:
• Mental and physical conditions that affect driving
• Safety belts and other safety equipment
• Effects of drugs, alcohol and defenses against impaired drivers
• How to handle driving conditions in urban and rural areas, and expressway driving in addition to other defensive driving strategies
• Cruiser maintenance and inspection records
• Emergency vehicle statutes
• Driving with due regard
• Liability associated with pursuits

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Driving Training for Fire Department Emergency Responders
Course length: 20 hours

LGC Property-Liability Trust and the New Hampshire Division of Fire Standards and Training/New Hampshire Fire Academy (NHFA) are partnering to provide certified driver training programs to New Hampshire emergency responders. This 20-hour, all-vehicle certification program is offered throughout New Hampshire with practical driving exercises conducted on a driving course specifically designed to facilitate efficient and safe emergency driving instruction. Responders will learn professional driving techniques using NHFA’s pumper and rescue plus other selected apparatus and offensive/defensive driving tactics with specific instruction in:

• Proper acceleration,
• Braking and steering
• Anti-lock brakes and retarders

NOTE: No firefighting prerequisites are needed for all-vehicle certification.

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Emergency Vehicle Liability: Police, Fire and EMS
Course length: Approximately 2.5 hours

This course is designed for police, fire and rescue personnel. Topics include:

• Emergency response laws
• Driver and vicarious liability
• Punitive damages
• Vehicle maintenance
• Use of lights and sirens

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Hands-On Grader Operation
Course length: Varies

As a service to its members, LGC has developed this hands-on, grader-training program using experienced public works professionals as trainers. The program invites up to 25 of the program’s first registrants to a one-day classroom session. Topics include:

• Reviewing the pre-operational inspection of the grader
• Work zone traffic control and Dig Safe requirements
• How a road should be constructed from “scratch”
• New Hampshire Department of Transportation’s suggested guidelines for gravel road construction and maintenance

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New Hampshire Plow Operator Training
Course length: 1-1.5 hours

This one-of-a-kind training uses a PowerPoint presentation to showcase a compilation of background information and veteran Member experience. Topics include:

• Plow operator qualifications
• What actions to take in the event of an accident, as required by the Federal Drug and Alcohol Testing Program
• Inspecting the plow system—what to look for and why it matters
• Knowing your plow route: what the public expects
• Defensive driving of snow removal equipment
• Easy nutritional techniques to keep you alert during snowplowing operations and to promote healthy eating habits
• Why a written snow removal plan is necessary

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Professional Truck Driver Defensive Driving Course (DDC-PTD)
Course length: 8 hours

Municipal truck drivers, especially plow truck drivers, have to be the exemplary defensive driver for all drivers. They are the drivers who must go out onto the roads when all other drivers are forced off the roads because of ice, snow, sleet or hurricanes. Topics include:

• Commercial Driver’s License and DDC principles as applicable to city, highway and rural driving situations
• Cushion of safety
• Safe following distances
• Blind spots
• Tailgaters
• Stopping distances
• Pre-trip inspection
• Effective scanning and collision prevention techniques
• Safe backing procedures
• Night driving
• Impaired drivers
• Adverse weather conditions
• Triangle placement

A certified DDC-PTD instructor also teaches training participants the Federal Highway Administration’s random drug and alcohol training requirements for drivers at the scene of an accident.

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School Bus Driver In-Service Training
Course length: Approximately 4 hours

This training supplements the required eight hours of in-service training needed to maintain the School Bus Driver Operator’s License. Topics include:

• General information on school bus safety
• School bus idling
• New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services’ Clean Emissions Initiative
• Bullying and stress management