Dave SmithMore from Dave SmithVehicle OpsThe PathI was sitting there trying to age gracefully when I noticed a girl in a wheelchair moving up to the edge of the pool as her race was getting ready to start. Since she was paralyzed from the waist down she could not start with a great leap into the water. So she lowered herself into the pool and pushed off with her arms.March 31, 2007TrainingWhere Did John Wayne Go?John wayne was the hero of my youth. He won World War II, tamed the Wild West, and generally went through life kicking butt. We hardly even remembered or cared about the name of any of the characters he played; we just went to a John Wayne Movie…period, enough said.February 28, 2007WeaponsPractice the Way You Want to PlayOne of the principles we "win" by is "practice the way you want to play." But one of the things we sometimes forget with our modern conveniences and comforts is that we want that practice to be as close to "game conditions" as possible.January 31, 2007PatrolThe Real Fear FactorFear is a funny thing, not in the “ha-ha” way but in the “sheesh,” eye-rolling way. It has been the focus of countless books, poems, and songs and has probably motivated more innovations than any other human emotion. Philosophers have argued that without fear we cannot have the virtue of courage; for courage is the Golden Mean between cowardice and recklessness and fear is your guide.December 31, 2006PatrolYou Are What You SleepI will never forget the first time I heard myself snore. Yeah, I snore pretty good; just ask one of my ex’s or one of my sergeants. But I actually was so tired once my own snoring woke me up! I was working on the Coconino Hotshots fighting a forest fire near Prescott, Ariz., when our squad leader called a break. I just sat where I was on the line and, the next thing I knew, loud snoring awoke me. I looked around and I was the only one within earshot…weird.November 30, 2006PatrolThe PlanJump into the fray then decide. —Napoleon BonaparteOctober 31, 2006TrainingGeneration What?OK, I confess. I used to teach how to train the "new generation." You older cops know who I’m talking about: frankly, the generation not as good as ours.September 30, 2006PatrolClimate ControlMailmen have nothing on cops when it comes to working in sleet and rain and blinding heat.August 31, 2006PatrolIn Praise of Condition WhiteCondition White is the internal focus we go into all the time. In Condition White, you are not focused on the outside world. You do NOT want to have this mindset on the street.July 31, 2006PatrolLanguage LessonsSometimes just knowing a few words in a foreign tongue can make you safer and help you do your job better.June 30, 2006Previous PagePage 20 of 21Next Page
