The serious training begins…

Week 8, Day 5

Part of Group A getting ready for the range

Well, this was a strange and intense week. We are starting to get into the actual weapons portion of our training. We are going to the gun range and starting to get the feel of our weapons and what it is like to have live ammunition. No more “Dummy” rounds. So this is not only fun and exciting…it can be a little unnerving, because of the live ammo. We have split the academy class into two separate groups, which is also strange. We have trained as a whole group for the last 8 weeks and now we are split up. It’s good because we get more one-on-one instructor training, but still a little different to have only part of the class together. My group was first up on the range this week and we as a group did well. The instructors were impressed with how we started out and we will only get better. I guess all the practice I have had with the Army has some benefits…but it also has its negatives. I have some bad habits when it comes to technique, so I not only have to concentrate on what I am shooting at…but I have to re-train my brain to Jefferson County Sheriff Dept standards. But I still love it and weapons’ training has always been my favorite part of training.

We also started getting more into the arrest control portion of our training. This is the hands-on training that teaches us how to protect ourselves. It too, can be fun, exciting and REALLY unnerving. I say this because…if we as peace officers…have gotten into a situation that requires “Hands-on” then usually something has gone wrong. The instructors are really good at making sure we get that “Muscle Memory” with each technique and that we are doing them properly. We don’t want to cause undue injuries to anyone; we just want to maintain control until the situation is under control. These techniques are relatively easy to learn and practicing on each other, makes them stick into memory.

At what point do we tap out??

The instructor shows a new technique

I think my classmate gets the new technique

So we had a great week of training…until the Blizzard of 2009. We were in arrest control training on Thursday morning when the snow hit. Due to the amount of snow that was falling per hour, the Jefferson County Sheriff Dept went on emergency alert. This means…we got a snow day. I haven’t had a snow day since…I can’t remember when. We had to cut the training day short and head home, but I wasn’t complaining and I don’t think any of my classmates were either. Like I have said in some of my other Blogs…we work very hard in this academy and when we are not in class working, we are at home preparing for the next day. So an unexpected snow day…was a pleasant surprise. I used my snow day accordingly…I caught up on some much needed rest. Thank you, Mother Nature.

It looks like the training schedule will include arrest control and firearms, from now until May when we get into driving. So the training has now started to shift from just classroom lectures, to a little of both. I can honestly say I would rather be outside in the snow…then be in the classroom all day.

24 Hours in a Day…is NOT enough!!

Week 7, Day 3

I know I haven’t posted since the middle of last week and I do apologize for that. My life is very consumed with this academy. I have NO time for anything but the academy. I know that when I was going through the hiring process, the recruiters, the Deputies and anyone else who knows anything about the Jefferson County Sheriff Department Law Enforcement Academy said…”This academy will take over your life. I hope you and your family are prepared.” Well, I am here to tell you, I don’t even remember what my life was like before the academy. Heck, I haven’t seen my immediate family for close to 5 weeks. I know that my Blog partner, Will is talking about the same thing on his Blog and he is dead on about the schedule. I don’t think I make it to sleep before 1130 or midnight (2330 or 0001, for you hardcore military/police officer types).

The reality of this academy is…A LOT of work, A LOT of preparation for the next day, A LOT of time discipline and A LOT of workouts (for the mind and body). And that is if our day goes without any hiccups. This week, we have had a lot of hiccups and with those hiccups come…re-focusing exercises, memos and one-way conversations with Deputy Johnson (and we are not the one’s talking). If you are thinking of applying for Jefferson County Sheriff Dept. and you want a challenge, then I say go for it. This is the most fun I have had since…well, Army MP (Military Police) school. This academy will test you (physically, emotionally and mentally), it will make you better, it will make you stronger (physically, emotionally and mentally), it will make you question your choice in professions, it will make you mad, it will make you excited to be a part of a great organization, but more importantly…it will really tell you, who you are as a person.

Let’s face it, anyone can do push-ups, formation runs and take written exams. But do you have the integrity it takes to get up every morning, even when your physically hurting, put on that uniform, put a smile on your face and serve the citizens of Jefferson County? That’s the question. We come into this profession with a desire to help people, who in a sense don’t always want our help. There are people out there, who don’t want to see a patrol car pull up to their house or behind them on the roadway. They don’t want to see us when they are getting booked into County Jail. And the people that we make contact with, don’t really care how long our academy was, or how many tests we took, or how many push-ups we can do. They just want to know that we have integrity, that we treat them fairly, and that we give them respect. That is what it comes down to. So I say again, if you think you have these qualities and are willing to sacrifice your life for this profession…then I say give it a shot. Be prepared to work hard and have NO time for anything but the academy.

I have included some pictures from the end of last week and the beginning of this week. Last week, we started talking about firearms and firearms safety. Safety is the #1 priority in everything we do, so that is drilled into us. The start of Week 7 brought us into more firearms and the beginning of Arrest Control (handcuffing and learning how to protect ourselves). Loads of fun…yes, we do have some fun. Enjoy the pictures and I will try to post more often to keep you all in the loop.

I would like to say one last thing…I talked about the hiccups we go through in this academy but this week we got some devastating news. One of our classmates got the news that his father died. I would like to use this Blog as a way to let him know the entire class is thinking of him. We would like to send out a prayer to him and his family and we hope that they get through this time and let the healing process begin.

A code to live by

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What NOT to do with your gun, at the range

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We like to have fun when we can

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Rhod is taking his best shot on the instructor

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The instructor is showing Rhod, that maybe he shouldn't hit an instructor

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Who is hitting Who??

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This is what happens...when you give 110%

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This is what happens...when they let twin brothers square off

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Call the UFC...I think we are ready!!

Can it be?? We are in Week 6!!

Week 6, Day 3

Class streamer

Last week was a rough one. We were all a little beat up with all the academics, the inspections, the PT sessions and let’s not forget…we got our Guidon taken away. We have managed to pull ourselves from the “Funk” and get back on track. We got our Guidon back and…we now have our own streamer attached to it. It’s gold and it is the only one of its kind.

We had our 2nd written exam, last Wednesday morning and I can honestly say I didn’t do as well as I wanted to. The test had 100 questions on it and it seemed, while I was taking the test I really knew the answers. But when I got the graded test back that was not the case. I soon found out, a lot of my classmates didn’t do “Great” either. We as a class went over the questions that we missed and came to a consensus that we needed the academy staff to hear our concerns. SGT. Wygant came in and sat with us and went over all the questions we had problems with and actually threw out some questions. Overall, it was a really productive afternoon and for one of the first times in 6 weeks, we all came together and worked together to achieve a common goal. It was something to see.

The rest of the week was spent doing more classes and of course, PT!!! One of the classes was about liquor codes and how to spot a fake ID. That was really cool. We spent some time doing a hands-on exercise to see if we could determine what was real, what was a fraud and which ID’s had been tampered with. It was a very informative class. We rounded out the week with a class on verbal communications, or otherwise known as “Verbal Judo.” In this line of work we really need to be great communicators and even more important, great listeners. The class touched on the different generations out there and the age gaps that we need to consider when we are dealing with the public. This was also when of the first classes we have had, that really touched on and talked at length about “Officer Safety” and what all that means to us. The instructor made a point to say that, most of the time we as Law Enforcement Officers (LEO), only have approximately 1/8 of a second to make a decision about what we are going to do in a critical situation. That is a pretty scary reality.

Week 6, started off a little slow for me personally. I had my Army National Guard drill weekend, where I worked all of Saturday and Sunday. So I didn’t have the weekend to get caught up on notes and things from last week, so I went into Monday morning feeling really tired. But that soon changed with the first class of the day, which covered Controlled Substances. The first part of the class was about the laws concerning controlled substances and finished with a detective from Westminster P.D. The detective came in and talked to us about the illegal drugs we will see on the street and in the jail, for that matter. What to look for when someone is under the influence of drugs and how to handle the situation. The best part of the lecture was the fact the detective use to work undercover and had some great stories. I really enjoyed this class.

At 0700 hours, on Tuesday we had our first official uniform inspection in Class A’s. Class A’s, consist of a long sleeved shirt and tie. We all looked really good and got an A+ from LT. Wolgamott, for a job well done. Now that Daylight Savings has come and gone, we get to change from Class A uniform to Class B, which is short sleeves and no ties. Can I just say…I love Daylight Savings. We not only get to wear short sleeves, but it stays darker longer, which translate to more afternoon PT sessions. We have had PT 3 times this week and as of tonight, I am feeling the burn. We did sprints today, which was a lot of fun. I am beginning to think Deputy Johnson is part Jack Rabbit…and no it has nothing to do with his ears. He is so fast and most of the time, we as a class spend our time trying to keep up. Our PT sessions are a lot of fun and a great way for us all to blow off some steam. I want to give a big HOOHAH (that’s Army for good job), to everyone for pulling everyone through these sessions. Some people are just not sprinters, but they never quit, they are always pushing forward and the rest of the formation always peels back to get them. We never leave anyone behind, EVER! So HOOHAH to all of you for the awesome PT sessions.

On Thursday we get to move into Firearms training. Next week, we get to do some hands-on with our weapons and in week 8, we will actually go “Live” on the range. What an awesome feeling that is. I still can’t believe we are almost done with week 6. We are moving right along and for the record…I still love every minute of it. This was a great career decision.

LT. Wolgamott inspects 2nd Squad

1st Squad gets the once over

Looking good 3rd Squad

We just keep going…

Week 5, Day 2

Last week seemed to drag on forever. We started the week with first aid and CPR and that’s where the fun stopped. Not really. We had A LOT of law classes last week, which is the norm for this profession. The law classes are not only long, but there is so much information to remember. The big “Blue Book” we were issued at the beginning of this academy is well used at this point. I think I have used highlighters on almost every page and it still seems like I will never get it all down. I really want to do my best to remember as much as I can about the laws, but then again…that’s what the book is for, so we don’t have to memorize everything.

We had a class on the “Rules of Evidence”, which was somewhat interesting. It covered not only the types of evidence we can see and collect, but what is admissible in court trials. It’s a little scary to add all this information up and think about what we are responsible for. We not only have a responsibility to the citizen’s to protect and serve, but we are safeguarding their Constitutional rights by not violating them when we need to collect evidence, when we write affidavits, when we conduct search warrants. This job is not just about writing speeding tickets and catching the “Bad Guy”. There’s a lot to learn.

Another class we had last week covered how we observe people on the street, as well as how the memory works. This class not only covered how our memories, as Police Officers work, but how to get a victim or witness to recall things in their memories. The instructor who taught the class was with us for 4 hours and at the end we did an exercise to see how much we could remember. She had us write everything down that we could recall about her. She just stood in front of us for 4 hours, and it was amazing the little details I could not recall. It’s those little details that would be important to an investigation. Just an amazing exercise to show me once again, that paying close attention to detail is critical in this job.

That close attention to detail is what can make or break an investigation…it can mean the difference of a suspect getting released of charges…it can mean life or death. To some people attention to detail is someone (like a supervisor or instructor) constantly nagging about the little things. To other’s, especially those of us that are/were military and the type “A” personalities…attention to detail means a great deal. It is something that grows on you after awhile and it’s something that you have to do every day…not just for inspections or to look good for graduation or to look good on a written test. It becomes a way of life. The academy staff is really trying to instill that sense of “Attention to Detail” so it becomes for a lack of a better word, “Muscle Memory”. If we do it without thinking…”Why?, what’s this for?”…then we will be better off in the long run.

We ended last week on a really good note, then Monday came. We didn’t pay attention to those small details. We forgot as a team, to take out the trash and clean up the classroom. Again, it may seem trivial to some, but it’s the small things that will come back to bite us, and that’s exactly what happen. One of the instructors had to pick up the slack and take care of something that’s our responsibility. So, we had a couple moments of clarity today, which included 50 push-ups and more. But it’s not the physical “Re-Focusing” exercises we do that hurt…it’s the fact we let the academy staff down. They keep telling us we did a great job and we are really coming along…then we do something like this and we are basically back to day 1. Deputy Johnson even took away our Guidon. One of the most visible symbols we have…as a team and now it’s gone. We have to earn it back. We have to prove to the staff we are worthy of carrying the Guidon and that we not only respect it, we respect the staff, we respect ourselves and we respect each other. You would think as adults…that would be easy to do…but sometimes it’s not that easy. We are under a lot of stress and pressure and it’s during these times…that the little things slip through the cracks. I know we will get it together…it’s just takes time.

A moment of silence for fallen officers

Formal uniform inspection

SGT Wygant conducts the inspection

Does anyone have a lint roller??