FARMINGTON — The Board of Selectmen unanimously agreed to allow the Police Department to meet the funding match needed for a Safety Enhancement Grant. The grant provides money to buy training guns.

The department has been looking into replica weapons to use in training, police Chief Jack Peck told the board Tuesday. 

The department’s training officer, Darin Gilbert, applied for and received a $356 grant from the Maine Municipal Association to purchase training guns, Peck said. The local match from the department is $222.

With the total of $578, the department will purchase four handguns, two Tasers and a patrol rifle, Gilbert said Wednesday.

The blue guns are molded rubber replicas in the correct size and weight of the firearms which the officers carry, he said.

“The blue gun feels the same in their hands, fits in their holsters and is bright blue so it can’t be mistaken as a real weapon,” Deputy Chief Shane Cote said.

New officers have a full day of scenario training as part of the field training they go through, Cote said. Different types of calls are simulated such as a domestic call or a felony traffic stop. Wearing the blue gun allows them to simulate reactions such as the need to draw a weapon and wear complete duty gear.

Simunition guns, which shoot paint pellets, have been used in training at the Middle School, Cote said. The simulated training helps prepare officers for how they would search the school for a burglary or active shooter.

These guns require face shields, neck protectors and sweatshirts, he said. The blue gun doesn’t shoot anything so the officer can wear the uniform he normally would to make a response, Cote said. 

During simulated training exercises, Gilbert said he takes everyone’s weapon away, breaks it down or uses an old BB gun.

“The new blue guns set the foundation for realistic training,” he said.

While clearing a building, an exercise that can take 20 minutes or so, the officer can feel the fatigue of carrying a firearm that is the correct weight and size of what he would have in a real situation.

The training helps the officer learn to judge and react appropriately, Gilbert said.

The field training scenario is one way to help the officer prepare to handle complaints but the blue guns can also be used for many other things, he said. They’ll be invaluable for years to come, he added.

abryant@sunjournal.com

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