With Thanks

For all who gave their lives, and those now putting theirs on the line for us ... Thank you.

The Importance of a good proofreader

Recently my husband was given an award by the International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine. It was supposed to be a surprise, but he told them he was too busy to go to their dinner (which was a shocker, since normally free food takes priority over just about everything), so when they told him he "had to be there" he was pretty sure something was up. Of course, I knew about it, but neither of us wanted to spoil the surprise for the other, so we each pretended to believe the original cover story, which was that he was presenting the award to a colleague.

More interesting, however is the story behind this plaque. The first iteration had the award given for Marine Mammal Conversation. Now, those critters might be smart, but so far, nobody's been able to do a whole lot of chit-chat with them. So, they sent it back and pointed out it was for Marine Mammal Conservation. They fixed that, but then my husband, after receiving this corrected version, pointed out that the man after whom the award was named was spelled Keyes, not Keys -- a fact driven home decades ago when my husband met the man who pointed out the spelling and pronunciation by way of introduction.

So, Dan -- because I know you're checking to see when this gets posted -- Here it is. And congrats again.

Civilian Police Academy - Over for now

What I'm reading: The Price by Joan Johnston

What I'm writing: Plot hole repairs

Last night was our final Civilian Police Academy class. It was a ceremony attended by the Sheriff, the Undersheriff as well as many of the department heads. The Sheriff spoke, thanking us for taking the class, and reminded everyone of the problems our community has trying to keep crime under control. Although it wasn't the speech I'd expected, it did pound home the point that the law enforcement community is overworked, underpaid, and under-appreciated, especially by the local media. (I think if personnel from the local news staff took this course, they'd change their tune). But then, anyone who knows me knows my opinion of the media is that they never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

We got lapel pins, keychains, and certificates:


We also had our pictures taken with the Sheriff. Maybe I'll post it when they send it.

Everyone in the class could see firsthand how dedicated the Orange County Sheriffs Office deputies are, and we have a lot more appreciation for their hard work.

And, of course, we had a great time getting to see some of their toys, too!

There's an Alumnae Academy that meets once a month. I think I'll be there! But next on my to-do list is my ridealong. I got the call yesterday, and my date is June 1st. I haven't mentioned it to my husband yet -- he reads my blog so I like to leave him a surprise or two. Besides, he made a point of NOT telling me he noticed my new slacks and shoes last night until after we got home.

A new portrait

Our latest portrait

Saturday night we were at a fund raiser for the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute. In a slightly different approach to the inevitable roaming photographer, some of the Hubbs research staff demonstrated technology they use in their studies.

Here's a picture of me and my husband.

Farewell, Miss Snark

Yesterday I had to be at a morning Adult Literacy League session, and I didn't check Miss Snark's blog before I left. Instead, I logged in at about 3:30 pm and found her retirement post. I have to admit I thought it was a joke, that I'd missed April 1st. I read it about five times before it sank in. At the moment, the comment thread has over 400 posts. She is going to be sorely missed.

I thank you, Miss Snark, for your time, patience, wisdom and wit.

So, you want to be in a romance novel?

Who says characters aren't real for authors? How do we find them? We advertise, of course. And what happens when someone answers the ad?

This is what happened when Sarah Tucker showed up.

Civilian Police Academy - Less Lethal Force updated 5/18

(Update in red below)

Great fun last night. Our instructor was part of the training division, and his enthusiasm for his work abounded. He's also ex-army Special Forces sniper and served on SWAT for years with the Sheriff's Office, so he knows what he's talking about.

First, we got an overview of Less Lethal Force. Note, it's not "Less THAN Lethal" because under the right (or wrong) circumstances, any of the options can be deadly. He reviewed the kinds of projectiles used for riot control or subduing suspects--lots of tubes with little things inside.

His personal preference is the way they used to do things in the 'old days' -- a simple 2 step process. Step one: verbal warning. Step two: deadly force. "Do what I say or I shoot." But that doesn't go over so well now. Lawsuits and all that. However, if an officer goes in with a 'less lethal' force, there is always a cover officer who's got the lethal option.

There was also an interesting discussion on the Taser, or ECW (the deputies use the 'generic' term to avoid any problems in court where the defense could discount testimony if they mention a specific brand name but no longer use that particular version -- so he'll say "my gun" rather than "my Glock", etc.

The ECW has its upsides and downsides. According to the instructor, having the ECW in use has significantly reduced the number of injuries to police officers. The most fascinating tidbit is that the devices have memories -- they hook them up to a computer and it will tell exactly how many times the weapon was discharged, and for how long. The officer is protected against someone saying they were repeatedly stunned on the drive to the police station, etc. Also, inside the cartridge, there's "confetti" that scatters, and each piece has the ID of the cartridge. So it's possible to reconstruct who shot who and where. And any time the device is discharged, the officer has to justify its use.

We got a quick overview of the kinds of resistance and what kind of force can be used.

Then we got to play in the simulator room. The instructor set up videos with all sorts of possible situations, from parking lot car break-ins to serving warrants to armed robbery. In the training room, a volunteer with a gun loaded with special projectiles (filled with compressed air) and a laser (not a sight -- they don't use those because they don't want deputies to rely on the laser sight; the lasers on these training weapons are hooked to the computer). Anyway, the 'real' way the room is used is to get deputies used to watching for possible outcomes -- a lot of the videos had people showing up unexpectedly with weapons, but also things that looked like possible threats but weren't. The officers have to learn how to see everything at once, and where to stand, how to be on target (and the trainer in the other room has control over a mounted gun that shoots nylon pellets, so if a deputy isn't utilizing the cover available in the room, he gets shot at!). Then, the computer can replay the scenario, and show where each shot hit, where the gun was actually aimed, etc. I don't know who had more fun --the people in the room or the instructor picking out the videos and shooting at us. For more information, check this site.

"Small world" moment. At the RWA conference in Atlanta last year, I participated in a similar demonstration. Last night, when it was my husband's turn, the scenario he got was exactly the same as the one they used with me last summer. Total coincidence, because last night, the instructor didn't use the same video twice.

Next week -- graduation, so this is it.

I'm happy to answer any questions (memory and notes willing), about the course. I'm waiting for the call for my ridealong.

Civilian Police Academy - SWAT

What I'm reading: Obsession by Jonathan Kellerman

What I'm writing: "The End" (until I go back and fill in all my 'insert XX scene here" markers)

Can't believe it's taken almost a full week to finish posting about last week's class, but I did treat myself to a Mothers Day break. We have our last "real" class tomorrow -- the final week is a party.

The Orange County Sheriff's Special Weapons & Tactics began with 5 deputies in 1974, using equipment they purchased themselves. Now, there are 42 members of the team. Of these, only 4 are full time dedicated SWAT officers. The rest serve in other departments as well, but are on call 24/7 for SWAT. They respond to felony calls, and serve search warrants for things like drug busts or hostage situations, where someone is threatening harm to himself or others, not the knock on a door and ask if Mr. Jones is home kind. The number of officers going out on these calls surprised me, but they have to cover all possible entrances and exits, provide backup, and try to get inside the house before the drugs get flushed. (But the deputy liked it when they tried, because he said the toilets often can't handle the load, and then they get to weigh the drugs AND the water, which can bring the charges up to a trafficking level.)

Their mission: To Save Lives. Too often, the public image is a bunch of guys who go in shooting bad guys.

There are 3 teams, each on call for 10 days a month. However, if there's a "full response" needed, they all go. There are also specialists who are not part of SWAT who offer support by setting up command posts, gathering intel, setting up surveillance equipment, phones, etc. There's also support, when available, from the fire department.

Training is ongoing. The selection process is tough, and then they're on probation for a year, when they're going out on as many calls as possible.

We got to play with their toys, too. Lots of guns, different kinds of projectiles such as 'bean bags' and 'rubber bullets' -- you don't want to be hit by these, trust me. Flash-bang grenades with 6-8 million candle power (not sure I got that term right, but the numbers are correct). The force SWAT brings to the job has to be equal to or more than the bad guys. They are very proud of their equipment, and most of it is financed by federal grant money, so it doesn't cut into our tax dollars and isn't part of the salary budget. Which is a good thing--these guys don't make nearly enough money as it is.

We went down and looked at their vehicles -- and I sat behind the wheel of their 'bear cat.' Way cool.

I was tagged

OK -- I decided to be a good sport and play along, although sometimes I think I'm more of a 'runs with scissors' than 'plays nice with others' kind of person. A writing colleague tagged me this morning and I have to post 8 random facts about myself and then subject 8 others to post on their own sites. Here goes:

1. I shopped on Rodeo Drive when it was still called "RO dee oh", not "Ro DAY oh" and there were dime stores and children's shoe stores that sold Buster Brown shoes.

2. I have only one secret from my husband of 38 years, and that's where I keep my chocolate stash.

3. I hate roller coasters. I refused a whole dollar (a lot of money to a six year old back in the day) to ride the kiddie coaster at the local amusement park.

4. I can't carry a tune in a bucket, although that doesn't keep me from singing. My college roommate told me I sang in the cracks between notes.

5. I work for an international society of marine mammal scientists. I'm not a marine mammal scientist, but I know a whole lot about whale sex.

6. I would drop just about anything for a chance to go on a cruise.

7. I used to do a lot of black and white photography and developed and printed my own pictures. Then, I'd hand color bits of them so they were part color, part black and white.

8. I hate chain letters and usually throw them away and can't believe I'm actually doing this!

The 8 victims of my tagging:
Jessica Odell
Roxanne St Claire
Catherine Kean
Lise Fuller
Kelsy George
Nicole Drummer
Sandra McDonald
Jenyfer Matthews

More police academy stuff next post -- sorry.

Civilian Police Academy - Hazardous Devices

What I'm Reading: The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard

What I'm working on -- medical research for chapter 22

Our first speaker Tuesday was with the Hazardous Devices Team, and they're "da bomb". (Sorry)

As with so many other departments, the members of the team all have "real" deputy duties - they work regular shifts on patrol, motors, narcotics, SID. This means they may just be coming off a 10 or 12 hour shift and get a call out for a possible bomb. We demand much from these folks. And you know what they get? An additional $52 every paycheck, the same as everyone else who does special duty. That's $26 a week extra for being willing to walk up to something that might blow up in their faces.

Of course, they're very well trained and confident they know what they're doing. They are also the only department that can call on the military for backup. There's a lot of old ordnance --souvenirs from the wars--that people bring home and then don't know what to do with.

In Orange County, the team will accompany SWAT (I'll talk about them tomorrow). Most of the funding for the special equipment comes from federal grants, which saves the county a LOT of money.

We got to go out and see their vehicle, and the bomb suit. When new, it weighs 80 pounds. After it's been used by numerous sweating deputies, it gains weight, and the one he showed us probably weighs 100 pounds. They share suits--I didn't write it down, but I think there are 3 of them. It's not a place for the claustrophobic, and about 1/3 of the applicants drop out of training the first time they put one on. Very limited mobility, visibility, and it's HOT in there. They're not refrigerated. All they get is ambient air blown in to keep the faceplate from fogging. They have EKGs and BP readings before and after using the suits. Our speaker said the longest he's ever had to be in one was an hour and a half, and he was nearly hospitalized afterward for dehydration.

The county prides itself on state of the art equipment, and they're always trying to keep up with the technology. They have robots, lots of camera, X-ray equipment, and it's a lot better than it used to be, but there will come a time when the deputy has to climb into the suit and get up close and personal.

I asked how he deals with the fear factor -- it's gotta be scary to go someplace and decide if that unattended briefcase might explode, or if the threat at the mall is real. He said he's scared, yes, but confident he's well trained and figures if someone's going to do it, it might as well be him because he knows what he's doing.

Next time: SWAT