The Texas Association of Counties writes a one-year review of its simulator package and FAAC's customer service since delivery

To: Alan Jordan, President & CEO FAAC Inc.

Dear Al, FAAC and the Texas Association of Counties (TAC) have completed one year of professional association that very quickly turned into a personal relationship. In November 1999 your company invited Sam Seale, TAC Executive Director, and myself to visit your facility in Ann Arbor. We were very impressed with your facility, product, and the staff. After that visit the Risk Management Board of TAC approved the purchase of a dual-cab driving simulator housed in a self-contained 43 foot fifth wheel trailer. The trailer would have a Crown Victoria police cab and a fiberglass truck cab that would be rolled into position in front of a three screen driving station. The driving station would be positioned in the front of the trailer and the cabs would be stored in the rear. The trailer was the first for your company to design, engineer and fabricate in this configuration. Purchase contract was signed in January 2000 and we accepted delivery of the simulator in July 2000.

Upon arrival in Texas, we quickly identified some problems in the final design of the trailer. These problems were not perceived during the design of the trailer and only were identified after we arrived in Texas. Each problem was evaluated and corrective measures were initiated without hesitation. An additional roof-mounted air conditioner was added and RV side awnings were installed to combat the Texas heat. Since we were changing out the cabs on a regular basis, quick-connect umbilical cables were fabricated and installed to protect sensitive computer connectors. Projection screens were upgraded to enhance clarity. Software was added to expand training capabilities in the truck cab. FAAC personnel flown in to oversee upgrades on two different occasions. We have been able to locate local vendors or have been able to handle in-house the other updates or repairs.

To this date we have visited 7 counties and have trained 593 Law Enforcement Officers and 323 Road and Bridge truck drivers. For the remainder of 2001, TAC will have the simulator in nine locations and will have contact with 43 counties and will train approximately 1,200 drivers. The simulator is normally operated six to seven hours daily and has performed in an exemplary manner. We have a two-hour classroom addressing defensive driving techniques, vehicle dynamics, pursuit operations and truck operations. Each driver is in the simulator for about 25 minutes. The scripted scenarios are very effective and law enforcement officers are receiving “decision making skills” that would not be possible while utilizing real vehicles. The truck cab is identifying strong and weak driving habits in the road and bridge drivers and counties are conducting follow-up training on those drivers identified with weak driving habits. With 142 counties in the Auto Liability pool (Texas has 54 counties), it will take approximately three years to train all county law enforcement and road and bridge drivers. The simulator training has become a very strong selling tool and we hope to add to the total number of counties that contract with us for their coverage.

The personnel at FAAC have been especially helpful. Our phone calls have been promptly returned and whatever question we had was skillfully addressed. I know all of the support staff by their first name and do not hesitate to call on them. They always have time to talk to me, even if they are extremely busy. John Carlsen, Sales Representative, has been extremely attentive and has made it a point to call or come by every chance he has. Many people and agencies have visited us to see if the trailer mounted configuration would work for their needs or to observe the simulator in operation. We welcome any visitor to come by to observe our training and inspect the trailer. We are proud of your product and our training program. When a 74-year-old truck driver says this is the best training he has ever had and your simulator is “cool”, we are getting the message across.

Thanks to FAAC for a highly effective training tool housed in a user-friendly environment.

Sincerely,
Paul Hoff
Simulator and Training Specialist