EVO
On September 25, 1991, the Department of Public Safety dedicated the Emergency Vehicle Operations (EVO) Training Center in Utah County. Governor Norman Bangerter officially opened the range by driving through a banner in a special Camaro patrol car. He was followed by state, county, and local law enforcement officials.
This new facility consists of an emergency response course, skill pad, skid pad, control tower, and an off-road recovery area. Training at this facility includes defensive driving, skid control, emergency response, vehicle dynamics, evasive driving, anti-lock braking systems, pursuit driving, night driving, thresh-hold braking, and the Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver. During the PIT maneuver officers learn to safely disable a fleeing vehicle by gently tapping a rear panel of the vehicle with the front of their patrol car. This maneuver sends the violator’s vehicle spinning 180 degrees and is designed to stop the engine, thus safely terminating the pursuit. Besides training every member of the Patrol, plus officers throughout the state, the EVO facility is used to train every officer going through the police academy.