Article for Police Union Local 1201 yearbook

As anyone knows who works with the Rutland City Police Department, it is a constantly busy place. Being so, getting to know fellow employees takes a while. And with only a minor few with access to background information some things never come to light until a conversation years down the road. To speed things along I was asked to write a little about myself
For good or bad like it or not I am a 7th generation Vermonter. I grew up in the Ludlow, Peru, and Manchester areas. I was a member of the Boy Scouts of America attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. I graduated from Burr and Burton Seminary in Manchester. Foregoing college to save money, I enlisted in the United States Air Force. Basic training was at Lackland AFB in San Antonio TX and Information Systems Management tech school was at Shepard AFB in Wichita Falls TX. And if you have ever been at either in late summer (Jul, Aug, Sep) you know what miserable heat is really like. With a Top Secret clearance I was assigned to NORAD, Cheyenne Mountain, US Space Command in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I worked Missile Warning and Space Observations where I monitored missile launches around the globe and tracked non-terrestrial objects in orbit around earth. Forced reductions came down from congress and I took an Honorable discharge and returned to Vermont. I started work as a computer programmer for the Orvis Company in Manchester writing their Fly Fishing and Sporting Clays School reservation system. Somewhere around this time I got married. Started working on the side as heavy equipment operator for a logging company. I operated dozers, excavators, skidders, front end loaders for a few years. Also during this time a started as a spare dispatcher at Manchester Police Department. I went full time at Manchester PD few years later. My daughter came along soon after. During this time I volunteered as an EMT for 2 years with Manchester Rescue Squad, a Firefighter for 10 years with Manchester Fire Dept, and a Deputy Game Warden for 10 years with Vermont Fish and Wildlife.
In January 2008 after 17 years at Manchester PD, a divorce, and moving to Rutland City and an extensive 7 month application process, I started as a new communications operator with the Rutland City Police Department. I said new, as in new to Rutland City PD not to the job. Skills are skills right? Going from 2000 calls a year to over 12000 calls a year would put mine to the test. Learning 44 new voices over crackled radio waves would put them to the test. But as I have learned, my wide range of experience in many types of jobs and situations is making the transition from MPD to RPD a piece of cake…well maybe a BIG piece.