DNR recruits learn to give their all while giving to others
Week 16: Oct. 29-Nov. 4, 2017
As he lumbered on all fours across nearly 40 yards of slick grass, it wouldn’t be surprising if the thought of dropping out of the exercise crept into the recruit’s mind, if even for a nanosecond.
He was, after all, a bit winded from the full sprint he just completed. But as the instructors’ top-of-the-lungs  commands of “Bear crawl! Bear crawl!” thundered through the chilly fall air, there was no hesitation. He crouched, placed both hands on the ground and scampered downfield toward the orange cone in the classic bear crawl position.
As always, instructors had reasons for their unique style of training, even if it wasn’t readily apparent to the recruit. Trotting alongside the tired trainee, they shouted motivational comments that summed up the essence of the physical endurance exercise. “Help! Help! Don’t stop! The public needs you!”
Sure, dropping out would have been the easy thing to do. But that’s not a luxury afforded to conservation officers in the real world. When faced with emergencies in the woods, on the water or in the streets, conservation officers must push through any personal pain and get the job done. Recruits quickly learn that burning lungs, aching arms or sore legs mean nothing when lives hang in the balance.
As in each previous week, training during Week 16 of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Recruit School was designed to push trainees to give everything they’ve got. In fact, “giving” has been an academy theme since Day One. Whether it’s giving total academic and physical effort during training, or finding ways  to give back to their communities, instructors continually impress upon their recruits the importance of teamwork and selflessness. Upon returning to the academy Sunday night, class members showed they took these lessons to heart.
Michigan Harvest Gathering
Recruits took time from their demanding training schedules to raise more than 1,800 items for Michigan Harvest Gathering, the state’s annual food drive that supports needy families. On Sunday, recruits proudly displayed their collected items by stacking them around the DNR Law Enforcement Division display in their classroom.
The class contributed 1,775 boxed and canned goods while the academy staff pitched in with 112 items to reach the goal of 1,887. That target was selected because it has special meaning for Michigan conservation officers. The DNR Law  Enforcement Division was founded in 1887, making it Michigan’s oldest statewide law enforcement agency. It marks its 130th anniversary this year.
“The academy is about more than just building the best possible conservation officers,” explained Sgt. Jason Wicklund, Recruit School commander. “It’s also about shaping the highest-quality people. We incorporate public service projects like Harvest Gathering into the curriculum because it gives trainees a valuable, well-rounded life perspective that makes them better conservation officers and citizens. We want them to understand the importance of giving back to their communities and state.”
The academy’s charitable work complemented the DNR’s overall activities supporting Michigan Harvest Gathering.
Serving all people
After completing their physical training and room inspections Monday morning, recruits spent the next several hours learning about cultural and sexual harassment issues from two veteran conservation officers, Sgt. Damon Owens and Conservation Officer Shane Webster. The class learned about working with diverse cultures and avoiding certain words or phrases that might be offensive to others.
“It’s very important to say and do the right thing even when no one is watching,” Sgt. Owens said.
The cultural awareness training was broadened Tuesday to include a role-playing scenario. In the exercise, recruits had contact with two subjects at the same time. One posed as a person who was fishing, and who spoke little English. The second subject was a female who sat next to the lake with a fishing pole nearby, but was not fishing. Recruits learned to handle both situations in a professional manner as the female subject became irate due to the officer’s questions and the fisherman with a limited knowledge of English was asking questions of the officer.
Emergency preparedness
Conservation officers never know when an emergency will strike, but Wednesday’s training helped to make sure  recruits are ready if the time comes. Staff Sgt. Brian Blomstrom of the Greenville Public Safety Department led a class discussion on emergency preparedness. Recruits learned about hazardous chemicals and waste, and how to deal with large-scale emergencies. They also discussed clandestine methamphetamine labs and how to deal with these situations.
Giving it their all
The class devoted time to survival tactics in the afternoon and was pushed hard. After doing sprints and bear crawls, recruits then had their endurance tested by being thrust into a mock physical confrontation. They had to strike training dummies with their batons, pretend to administer pepper spray to the dummies, use self-defense moves to overcome a simulated attack by a role-playing instructor, and handcuff a practice dummy before using their radios to call the information in to the DNR's statewide communications center.
“The purpose is to simulate being in a struggle, and being physically exhausted, but then having to fight for their lives,” said Cpl. Steve Martin, lead survival tactics instructor.
Finding stolen vehicles
Thursday was a critical day as recruits participated in the Law Enforcement Division’s “Fit for Duty” physical ability test. The exhausting series of challenges again demanded that recruits give everything they have, which they did.
After additional training in emergency preparedness, the focus turned to vehicle theft. Conservation Officer Webster taught the class how to identify and deal with stolen vehicles such as cars, ORVs, boats and snowmobiles.
Week winds down
Before being dismissed for the weekend, the class had the benefit of hearing from Lansing Police Department Capt. Cherie Ballor on domestic violence issues. Recruits then spent the afternoon with their conservation officer instructors, building on the report writing skills they learned earlier.
Week 16 was one of the most physically demanding for recruits. But they persevered – a testament to the quality of training they’ve received and to their own steadfast determination to become Michigan conservation officers.
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.
Bear_crawl: A conservation officer recruit has his endurance tested as he does a “bear crawl” during training. Recruits are pushed to their physical limits to make sure they can handle the demanding responsibilities of a Michigan conservation officer.
Taking_charge: After completing a series of sprints and “bear crawls,” a conservation officer recruit works to complete his physical training exercise by overcoming a simulated attack by a role-playing instructor. Recruits are trained to put aside fatigue and personal discomfort as they carry out their lifesaving duties.
Giving_back: Class members of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Recruit School present the food items they raised to support Michigan Harvest Gathering. Recruits raised and donated more than 1,800 items that will help feed families across Michigan through the state’s annual food drive.
Calling_it_in: A conservation officer trainee completes a rigorous training scenario by calling the DNR's statewide communications center after completing an arrest. Recruits were pushed hard physically during the exercise to gauge their ability to complete a mission even when fatigued.
Leading_the_class: Conservation Officer Shane Webster prepares his class to practice searching an all-terrain vehicle for its vehicle identification number. Recruits learned how to identify and deal with stolen vehicles such as cars, ORVs, boats and snowmobiles.
ATV_search: A recruit thoroughly searches for the vehicle identification number on an all-terrain vehicle during recent training. Conservation officers often come across stolen cars, ORVs, boats and snowmobiles during the course of their duties.
Finding_the_VIN: Recruits get the hang of where to look for vehicle identification numbers on an all-terrain vehicle during a recent exercise. Learning how to identify and deal with stolen vehicles will serve them well when they become conservation officers./
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.
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