Special Deputy Training

To become a sworn Special Deputy, each trainee must go through more than 160 hours of classroom training. This training includes 40 hours of medical training, emergency vehicle driving training, boat handling, fire fighting, defensive tactics and a variety of rescue techniques including water rescue, swift water rescue and ice rescue.

In addition, Special Deputies must attend mandatory monthly, quarterly and seasonal training to maintain their proficiency.

Point of Interest: A Hennepin County Volunteer Special Deputy receives more training than paid, fulltime police officers in some states.

This page shows only some of the training that Special Deputies get.


Safe boat handling includes safe pursuit of violators.	Boat fires are both spectacular and dangerous. Each Water Patrol Boat is equipped with a fire pump and each deputy is trained in basic fire fighting.

Water Patrol deputies train together in special cold water suits to become effective rescue teams.	During Winter months, ice rescue and cold water training are done almost weekly.

Deputies train to safely handle any situation on watercraft up to and including felony arrests	"In water" defensive tactics help deputies protect themselves if they are ever faced with having to defend themselves in the water.