Lest We Forget

10-41

Today marks the sixth year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on American soil killing almost 3000 innocent people. Its a tragedy that will never be forgotten.

Among those 3000 were many police and fire fighters. They courageously ran forwards into the chaos while everyone else ran away. In doing so they saved many lives while paying the ultimate sacrifice and lost their own.

Today at POST we had a memorial service to remember the fallen and to show that we are ready to pick up where it was left off in serving and protecting the American people.

The memorial was very moving. The UHP color guard performed our flag ceremony and sang the National Anthem. We had two different speakers from people that have been in the service for almost 40 years. Then a drum line and bagpipes came in and played Amazing Grace while there was a 21 gun salute and fly by from a plane and helicopter. Pretty awesome service.

The whole thing was covered by Fox 13 News . There are two different videos. The first video I'm in the background lined up with all the officers but I'm too far away to be seen. The Lt. that gave the interview is my Lt. at POST. Really awesome guy. The second shows the 21 gun salute and some of the service. For the second video click on Related videos to the side of the viewing screen from the link.

http://www.myfoxutah.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=4324765&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1

Medical Update:

Many have asked whats going on with the weird medical crap I had a few weeks back. Hate to disappoint but nothing much. When I was originally checked at the hospital they were checking to see if it could be any of the things involving the brain that could kill me or seriously screw me up. After a long day and huge bill they told me all the major stuff came back negative. However they couldn't tell me the cause of the headaches. For that I had to meet with a neurologist. The one they referred me to said he was not taking any more new patients. So I haven't been to another doctor yet. However, I haven't had the headaches anymore either. A time or two since during PT I could feel one coming on but they never really develop into anything. Hard to explain really. I figure since I don't have them anymore and whatever caused them it won't kill me I'd have a hard time explaining the whole thing to the brain doc without it happening on a regular basis. When I'm done with POST I'll look into getting it checked out. Until then I just can't afford missing anymore days from class when it isn't necessary.

Thanks for the concern and prayers on my behalf. It must have worked cause everything seems to be fine now.

Yates 10-42

10-80 Pursuit in Progress!!!

10-41

I've been getting a little busy so it's getting harder to keep this updated. School has started so in a sense with POST and with part time school I'm a "full-time-and-a-half" student.

A little while back we had our first night shoot. Was pretty interesting. My gun has night sights on it that glow in the dark so you can see where you're aiming. We did a 50 round prep course to get us ready for the night qualification. Half with a flashlight and half without. The furthest back you shoot from during the night qual. is 15 yards. Each shot within the center mass on the target is worth 5 points and each shot still on the target but outside the center mass range is 4 points. One needs 200 points to qualify. I scored 221. So if it had been the real night qual. I would have passed with no problems.

For a week we've been out at the Emergency Vehicle Operations range (EVO). We've been learning how to drive like a cop. Believe it or not there is a lot of things you have to know when driving in a police car. It isn't as simple as drivers ed. We went through an evasive action course where driving between the speeds of 35-60 mph you make multiple maneuver's through an obstacle course of cones. For the qualification you can't hit a single one. The cool part was making three high speed lane changes, popping off the curb and back on again and then coming to an abrupt complete stop at the skid ramp at the end all while doing 60mph. Pretty awesome. Then there is a skills course where you have to do several backing maneuver's, more lane changes, four quick back and forth turns (kinda like skiing), more parking...then do the whole thing again backwards. The cones are only spread out about the width of the car plus two or three inches so there is VERY little room for error. That course you had to complete in 2 min 3 sec without hitting a single cone.

There was also a skid pad. We weren't tested on it. We did it just to get use to the feeling of spinning out of control and how to recover from it. They had a big parking lot with sprinklers all around to keep it wet. We had to approach a line of cones with an opening on each side at 35 mph. At the last minute the instructor in the passenger seat would tell you right or left and as you turned he stomps on the breaks he has on his side of the drivers ed car and away you go. It was pretty fun doing 360's and even a 720 while trying to recover from the spin.

Today we learned how to maneuver turns quicker so we can actually gain time and speed while going around corners during a pursuit. The whole thing is getting us ready for a mock night pursuit each of us will do. An instructor takes off and you have to chase him down in a squad car. However, the course has random obstacles through it like wild life, construction and intersections which other instructors will be driving through. I'll have to maneuver safely around everything while using the radio to let "others" know the direction the suspect is heading etc. Sounds like its going to be pretty cool.

So far so good. Off to homework.

Yates 10-42