VISTA — The Kaplan College Vista hosted a recent dedication ceremony to introduce its new Firearms Training Simulator. Vista Mayor Morris B. Vance and Oceanside Mayor Jim Wood dedicated the FATS machine in recognition of area fallen police Officers Dan Bessant and Sean A. Nava.
Bessant, an Oceanside police officern was shot and killed in the line of duty in 2006. His father, Steve Bessant, accepted a plaque in honor of his son’s courage and work on the force from Oceanside Police Department Capt. Tom Aguigui.
Nava, a California Highway Patrol officer, was killed by a drunk driver in 2000. Melanie Nava Pulley, Nava’s widow and current Kaplan College student, accepted this honor from CHP Capt. Deb Schroeder.
Following the dedication, a local police officer demonstrated the capabilities of the new FATS machine. The campus president, Jann Mitchell, and criminal justice program director, Zach Shalit, answered questions regarding the new simulator and Kaplan’s criminal justice program.
Kaplan college criminal justice students were on hand to pass hors d’oeuvres and gave campus tours.

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