Challenges continue as recruits approach halfway point
Week 11: Sept. 24-30, 2017
The recruits knew what was coming, all right. They just weren’t sure how they would react.
At the instructor’s command, four recruits formed up, standing side by side, arm in arm. With eyes squinting  in nervous anticipation behind the relative protection of their safety glasses, the young men and women braced themselves as best they could.
It didn’t help.
The instructor extended his arm and unleashed a burst of pepper spray in each recruit’s face. Gasping for breath and fighting the urge to rub their stinging, watering eyes – which only makes it worse – the groaning trainees kept bobbing their heads in desperate attempts to shake off the spray’s debilitating effects.
Week 11 marked the approximate halfway point of the 23-week Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Recruit School. Any hopes recruits might have had that their toughest training was behind them were quickly blown away in a blast of pepper spray.
It was clear that the second half of the academy will be no less demanding than the first. Week 11 continued preparing recruits for the realities of life as conservation officers. From learning to identify species of fish to experiencing the nasty effects of pepper spray, the well-rounded training enhanced the knowledge and confidence recruits will need to successfully perform their duties in the field.
Serving the public
Monday’s training began with a wrap-up class on responding to complaints involving people suffering from mental or emotional issues. It was the culmination of instruction presented to recruits earlier in the academy. This time, Sgt. Jason Wicklund, Recruit School commander, and Conservation Officer Shannon Kritz divided the recruits into groups  and told them to research a specific mental condition. Each group then presented its findings to the rest of the class.
The rest of the morning was spent with Dean Molnar, DNR Law Enforcement Division assistant chief, who coached recruits on public speaking. Conservation officers are the DNR’s most visible public “face” of the department because of their close ties to the communities in which they live and work. They must be comfortable speaking to diverse audiences, ranging from school students to DNR stakeholder groups. Each recruit had a set period of time to make a presentation to the class on a topic of his or her choosing. Many recruits used props or developed PowerPoint presentations. The skills will serve them well throughout their careers.
Having a blast
The week had an intense focus on survival tactics, challenging recruits to perfect the skills they’ve learned so far. But it was Tuesday that the class had a real “blast.”
Unfortunately, it came in the form of OC spray – commonly called “pepper spray.” OC, short for “oleoresin capsicum,” is a chemical compound that irritates the eyes causing tears, pain and temporary lack of vision. It is a nonlethal tool used by law enforcement to subdue suspects and deter attacking animals.
Each recruit was sprayed with the gas and had to fight through the initial shock and pain. While it was an unpleasant experience, the scenario reinforced the need for conservation officers to focus on the job at hand rather than be distracted by personal discomfort. To drive that point home, the recruits had to do 25 jumping jacks, throw a few self-defense punches at a training bag, and handcuff a practice dummy after getting sprayed. The trainees felt miserable due to the spray’s effects, but were never in medical danger as instructors had a local EMS team on-site as a precaution.
Staying alert
Survival tactics dominated the agendas Wednesday and Thursday. Conservation Officer Brian Bacon taught the class about tactical lighting, cover and concealment, and searching. After showing recruits how to use their tactical flashlights for defense and as a tool for conducting searches,  he had them practice their new skills in scenarios involving breaking and entering, and subsequent arrests. The class then learned about breaching doors and the tools used to do it.
Additional scenarios followed Thursday. The first one showed recruits how to control an arrested person and locate any weapons or contraband they had hidden. In the second scenario, trainees practiced tracking and apprehending escaped prisoners. Instructors posing as escaped prisoners armed with knives attempted to evade each recruit. With the “escapees” hiding behind buildings, recruits had to rely on their training to safely apprehend the prisoners.
Conservation Officer Bacon pointed out that the lesson can be applied to multiple situations recruits will face as officers. “All law enforcement officers should use caution even on the simplest calls,” he said. “You should never get complacent and think things will be easy or the same.”
Conservation officers routinely respond to civil disputes involving child custody, tenants and landlords, and property boundaries. Friday, Conservation Officer Troy Van Gelderen explained to recruits that even though these situations are not criminal cases, they quickly can turn into heated arguments and physical assaults. Conservation officers must know how to handle these volatile situations and help facilitate a mutual resolution, if possible.
Getting hooked
 The week’s other significant emphasis brought recruits closer to their conservation officer roots. Each day, Cpl. Marvin Gerlach and his team of instructors taught the class about fish species identification and fishing law enforcement.
Recruits learned the characteristics of various fish species, size limits for recreational fishing and laws pertaining to tribal and commercial fishing. The training was very hands-on, too. Recruits were required to handle dead fish so they will be comfortable with such duties once in the field.
No shortcuts
After 11 weeks in the academy, the personal development of each recruit is evident. Instructors see their growing maturity and confidence. Class members understand there are no shortcuts to achieving their goals of becoming conservation officers. It takes attention to detail, the willingness to learn, a commitment to teamwork and lots of sweat. There’s still no guarantee they’ll make it the rest of the way, of course. In fact, the question posed to them upon their arrival in July looms as large as ever at the end of Week 11: How badly do they want this?
Subscribe to the weekly conservation officer academy blog, which also will be posted on the Michigan DNR Facebook page. View previous blogs from Recruit School #8.
/Note to editors: Accompanying photos are available below for download. Caption information follows.
Toughing_it_out: A recruit reacts to pepper spray administered by an instructor. It’s likely that conservation officers who are forced to use pepper spray against a suspect or dangerous animal will be exposed to it indirectly. The training helps recruits understand and deal with the spray’s effects so they can fight through it.
Having_a_blast: Cpl. Steve Martin administers a dose of pepper spray to recruits so they can experience and learn to overcome its effects, which is critical if a conservation officer is exposed to the chemical agent when making an arrest.
Relief: A cold-water rinse is the most effective way to remove pepper spray residue from the body. Pictured, a recruit welcomes the relief after being subjected to the spray during training.
Mind_over_matter: Recruits are on the receiving end of a pepper spray burst. They must learn to handle personal pain and discomfort, and focus their energies on accomplishing the task at hand.
Nice_catch: A recruit inspects a fish to identify its species as the rest of his class looks on.
Name_that_fish: Conservation officers must be able to identify Michigan game fish and know state fishing laws. Pictured, recruits get tested on the knowledge they gained during Week 11./
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.
|
