Understanding instructor vigilance in police firearms training : a qualitative study in the context of the Malta Police Force

Abstract

This dissertation explores how firearms instructors within the Malta Police Force develop vigilance and are supported in sustaining it during live-fire training. The study was driven by the recognition that such training, combined with varying levels of trainee competence, presents inherently high-risk conditions. Within this context, instructor vigilance serves as the primary safeguard against incidents and is essential for ensuring safety. While vigilance has been extensively studied in other high-risk sectors such as aviation and healthcare, the specific factors that support or undermine its sustained application in police firearms training remain largely unexplored. A qualitative design was adopted using semi-structured interviews with eight instructors from the Special Intervention Unit, who are responsible for training across the police force. Thematic analysis was used to examine instructors’ lived experiences, focusing on the development of vigilance and the organisational support available. The findings revealed that vigilance is primarily maintained through individual experience, peer-led learning, and informal coping strategies, with minimal structured support from the organisation. Instructors rely on self-developed methods, leading to variability in practice and an absence of formal procedures to sustain attention. This highlights a significant gap when compared with the structured approaches adapted in other high-risk fields. The study concludes that instructor vigilance should be formally recognised by the organisation as a core competency. Accordingly, the organisation should provide the necessary tools for its development, along with structured support through clear protocols and practices to adequately sustain it. The study therefore recommends implementing structured training, scenario-based simulations, cognitive monitoring tools, and recovery protocols to reduce risk, enhance performance, and improve safety outcomes in this high-risk training environment.