Author: Jim Jones
Forensic Tests for Alcohol Branch staff and NC Justice Academy counterparts.
May 21, 2019 – A shared database system will be used by the Division of Public Health’s Forensic Tests for Alcohol Branch and the North Carolina Justice Academy beginning July 1 to improve internal efficiencies and customer service through the class registration process for law enforcement officers in the state.
The Forensic Tests for Alcohol Branch provides training to federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement officers who administer chemical analyses to drivers facing driving while impaired (DWI) offenses. Officers are trained and issued permits as chemical analysts to operate the breath alcohol testing instrument.
“The new web-based system saves on personnel staffing expenses for our Branch,” said Branch Head Fritz LaBarge. “Sharing the expense to maintain the software with the Justice Academy increases our ability to purchase additional software for other tasks.”
The partnership joins processes of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice. The web-based system offers self-service registration, an audit trail and legally-defensible training records for law enforcement officers. First tested by the NC Justice Academy, the automated system brings the FTA Branch enrollment into the 21st century with its certification database.
Both training institutions will continue as autonomous bodies that are responsible for their respective courses, instructors and schedules. Registration and the list of courses offered to law enforcement officers are available on the NC Justice Academy Training portal.