TROTWOOD — If you’ve ever wondered about the precision that goes into public safety honor guard units that perform church and casket protocols, flag etiquette and other ceremonies, more than two dozen personnel from multiple police, fire and emergency services jurisdictions are undergoing training in Trotwood this week.
>> WATCH: Funeral procession for Dayton Police Detective Jorge Del Rio
The week-long course, being held at the Trotwood Community Center on Lake Center Drive, is expressly designed to teach fire service and public safety organizations how to develop and enhance their organization’s honor and color guard unit skills, according to a statement from the National Honor Guard Academy, which is offering the training in cooperation with the city of Trotwood.
“This venue is intended to offer a one-of-a-kind national forum and unique training environment that will provide basic guidance for the standardization of training methods, instruction in proper drilling movement, proper techniques, leadership enhancement, and team confidence building,” according to the academy.
The training has been focusing on managing the traditions, protocols, and planning used if an agency suffers an unfortunate line of duty death. The curriculum is designed to cover all aspects of honor guard team development and functions, including basic drill and ceremony, church and casket protocols, flag etiquette, history and traditions, and overall funeral planning.
The academy was established in 2006 to develop and elevate the ceremonial knowledge of public safety honor guards.
The instruction culminates Friday with the students planning and executing a complete mock funeral to be held at a local funeral home and cemetery.