Syracuse.com - DEC boot camp in Pulaski for new conservation officers, forest rangers is no walk in the park

[HuntingNY-News]

Shouting drill instructors help weed out the weak or uncommitted recruits.

Some recruits set their alarm clocks to go off at 4:30 a.m., anticipating a surprise room inspection.

By 5:40 a.m., all line up outside at attention, wearing matching grey T-shirts, shorts and sneakers. Water bottles in hand, they're ready for an hour of intense physical training.

"We split the group in two. Half will run today, the other half will do calisthenics and circuit training," said Lt. Bernard Rivers, the officer in charge. The circuit training consists of exercises like jumping rope, doing pushups with their feet elevated on a porch, repeatedly kicking and punching a free-standing punching bag and step-ups on a truck tire.

A recruit repeatedly boxes and kicks a free-standing punching bag as part of his early morning physical training.Dick Blume | [email protected] 

That's all before breakfast.

Welcome to the state Department of Environmental Conservation's paramilitary-style boot camp for new environmental conservation officers and forest rangers. It's currently underway at the DEC's training facility in Pulaski on the banks of the Salmon River. Due to state budget cuts, it's the first training class for new environmental conservation officers since 2008, and for forest rangers since 2007.

Recruits do repeated step-ups on a truck tire as part of their early morning physical training.Dick Blume | [email protected] 

This year's recruits range in age from 24 to 44. There are 32 environmental conservation officers (26 males, 6 females) and 17 forest rangers (14 males, 3 females). The 24-week training session began May 6 and graduation is set for Oct. 18. Training takes place Monday through Friday and the recruits go home on weekends. Since the DEC' training facility lacks a kitchen, the recruits eat all their meals at a nearby Ponderosa Steakhouse.

It's no walk in the park, though. Along with intense physical training, there's shouting drill instructors, stressful situations designed to weed out the uncommitted -- the constant saluting of superiors. And then there's the isolation from family and friends: recruits turn in their cell phones and car keys at the beginning of the week and don't get them back until Friday evening.

There is one pay phone, but it costs $15 to make a collect call. The recruits, who learned quickly that it helped to have phone charge cards, are divided into two groups. One group can use the phone for an hour Tuesday evening; the other, an hour on Thursday evening.

"They divvy up among themselves how they use that time," Sgt. Robert Inman, training coordinator. "They'll eventually be able to use their cell phones when they earn the privilege."

Amy Cunningham, 26, of Marcy, is a forest ranger recruit with a four-year environmental science degree. She said she grew up "playing in the woods" and has a passion "for fighting for the environment." She's excited about her new career and understands what's going on with the training, but concedes the first few weeks made her wince.

"I heard rumors about what was coming, but I wasn't 100 percent ready," she said. "That first night none of us slept. It was like 'What have I gotten myself into?' "

John Gates, 32, Remsen, said being an environmental conservation officer is "something I always wanted to do." He loves to fish and has helped teach a hunter safety course with his father. He has a two-year, criminal justice degree and just got out of the Army, having served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"This was still a shock. More than I thought it would be. A lot more rigid. I was ready for it either way," he said.

Lt. Bernard Rivers, the officer in command at the DEC's training facility, stands next to bell that is rung whenever a recruit quits the program.Dick Blume | [email protected] 

On the front porch near the office is a bell given to the training officers by the 2008 graduating class. It's inscribed with the following words: "Tough Times Don't Last, Tough People Do." Rivers explains that when someone drops out of the program, they're obliged to ring the bell and then put their name tag up on the bulletin board outside the school's office.

"It's for all to see and hear who has left," Rivers said, adding six recruits have already left. "It adds to their stress. Sometimes recruits will show up and realize right away it's not for them.

"One guy in this class lasted an hour and half. He had a 3-year-old at home, his wife had just had infant triplets. And he said it's really not right for my wife to be home alone with them by herself and that 'I should get out of here.' "

Recruits, from left, Amy Cunningham, of Marcy,(forest ranger), and John Gates, of Remsen, and Foster Matthew, of Camillus (both conservation officers), relax at breakfast after an hour-long physical training sessionDick Blume | [email protected] 

Stress is something the officers, drill instructors and other instructors apply to weed out those who have mistaken impressions about what these two state jobs entail, and to train the recruits to keep their cool under pressure. Things like waking them up out a sound sleep at midnight to fall in at attention outside to welcome a new recruit, or getting everyone up at 3 a.m. and asking them to throw their keys on the ground and to quickly figure out how to change rooms and roommates.

The recruit group leaders struggled and fumbled one recent morning when everyone was suddenly pulled out of class and lined up for one of those "everyone switch rooms and roommates" orders. Only one minute remained for the leaders to make it work and it was obvious that wasn't going to happen.

"What is your problem!! Can't you follow a simple, stupid order! You have until 13:00 hours to get this right! Now get back to class!" the drill instructor screamed at one group leader.

Taped to the top of the desks in one classroom is a sheet of paper that reads: "Documentation results in termination."

"That's a reminder not to screw up," Sgt. Robert Inman, training coordinator.

On the outside bulletin board recently was posted a memo with the following: "Lt. Rivers has revoked our privilege of having protein powder as a supplement as of Sunday June 16. No protein powder of any type will be allowed until further notice.

"Some the recruits were using it to help while they were working out...and somebody apparently screwed up," Inman said. "Now, the whole group has to suffer."

Rivers explained both sets of recruits, though their training will be more separated as the 24 weeks progress, will take police-related coursework and receive Division of Criminal Justice Police Certification. Both will be issued firearms prior to graduation. During their training, they each carry a plastic handgun in a holster and are required to take care of it like a real gun.

Both are exposed to the state's 71 chapters of environmental conservation law. However, the conservation officers undergo more fish and wildlife training, while the forest rangers focus more on regulations governing state lands, wildland fire fighting and search- and- rescue operations.

"Both get a little of what each does, a basic understanding of each other's duties for those times that we have to work as a group," Rivers said. During a recent morning classroom session, the ECOs attended a lecture on the state's water quality laws, while the forest rangers were in another room learning how to be a squad leader on a fire fighting team.

Other training includes such things as "defensive tactics," including boxing, firearm retention and handcuffing techniques of non-compliant people.

Officer Beth Hagg, who oversees the facility's physical training and defensive tactics training, along with its drill instructors, said being an environmental conservation officer or forest ranger is "not for a delicate person, male or female."Dick Blume | [email protected] 

"If you grew up being pampered and treated as a little Barbie Doll, you can't suddenly make a life change to being strong on the inside and out. This is not for a delicate person, male or female," said Officer Beth Haag, who oversees the drill instructors, along with the physical and defensive tactics training. "You will be working with aggressive subjects...dealing with hunters who are drunk, fishermen who are drunk or for whatever reason feeling aggressive. You have to be able to handle yourself and take any subjects under your control or possibly into custody."

Each recruit is issued a laptop computer. "Unlike a traditional police department where there's a station for them to go and work, for conservation officers and forest rangers their office is their state vehicle. Ninety percent of the equipment they need to work is stored in that vehicle and it goes home with them," Inman said.

New to the training this year is a counter-terrorism component. Inman said 95 percent of the officers assigned to the greater New York City area will be carrying a "personal radiation detector." Officers will get trained in how to read it and isolate the source.

Inman said the majority of the recruits will initially be assigned to downstate jobs on Long Island or New York City. Duties will include such things as enforcement of marine laws, checking for endangered species in the fashion district or regulating medical wastes. "We recently made a big arrest in a multi-million dollar elephant ivory case," he said.

Going downstate doesn't bother conservation officer recruit Foster Matthew, 26, of Camillus.

"My dream job is to get something around the Syracuse area," he said. "I'm excited, though, about getting to go down to Long Island. I heard they have some great waterfowl hunting down there. That will keep me happy."

The recruits have to come in at certain level of conditioning and expected to improve upon that before graduating in October.Dick Blume | [email protected] 

MORE ON THE CONSERVATION OFFICER/FOREST RANGER RECRUITS:

The starting salary for an environmental conservation officer is roughly $50,800, and $55,600 for a forest ranger. They get paid while they're getting trained. Recruits for both jobs are required to have a four-year degree in environmental science or criminal justice, or a two-year degree supplemented with two years of military service, a certified police training course or two years of experience in the areas of freshwater or marine sciences.

PHYSICAL STANDARDS

To get accepted as a recruit, candidates must be at the 50 percentile for their age and sex, according to the Cooper Institute fitness standards. When they graduate, they must be at the 70th percentile or better for pushups, situps and 1 ½ mile run. For example, for men ages 20-29 the 50 percentile requires 33 pushups, 40 situps in a minute and the run in 11:58. For women of that age, the requirement is 18 pushups, 35 situps and the run in 14:15.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog