Week Five

Memorial Wreath dedicated by NA249



Lady Liberty

NYPD Helocopter

Well another week down and another challenge complete. We completed the 5k, Lion's Leap challenge. It was a good run, completed it in 29.15. This was about what I had expected. It was a little on the muggy side with it trying to rain and also hitting 88 degrees. We also had a very good enrichment session this week with Louisiana State Trooper Bobby Smith speaking. Trooper Smith was blinded in an adversarial encounter in 1986 while on duty. Trooper Smith spoke about dealing with the job and with family and how to separate the two and bring it home to our loved ones. I will have to say that this was one of the most informative and enlightening enrichment sessions we have attended. Trooper Smith brought up some very good points about our job and that it takes a special person to be a spouse to an officer and that we should not take them for granted. Also we should not just let things build up to the point that it explodes. This week was also the week for the New York trip. This trip was one of the best things that I have ever got the chance to experience. We started the trip with a visit to the NYPD Police Museum. This was a pretty cool place with all types of historical items from the NYPD’s history. After that we went to the Special Ops Division to tour the facility and see the equipment. Due to weather conditions our helicopter demonstration could not be preformed. We then went to One Police Plaza and got a tour of the Joint Operations Center (JOC) and the Real Time Crime Center. This was a technological marvel to say the least. Several banks of cameras and intel data streaming in from all over the city and country to assist officers, quite amazing. After the One Police Plaza tour we had time on our own to explore NY. Scott Pike, from Port Huron Michigan Police Department and I decided to walk around NY and site see a little bit and took the subway back to the hotel. That evening we all went out to eat at Carmine’s Restaurant. This was an Italian, Family Style restaurant that was tremendously good. The service and food was excellent. The next day we split up and half went to the Empire State Building and the other half went on a harbor tour on the FDNY Fire Boat. This was amazing seeing the sites from the harbor. After this we went to the World Trade Center Memorial. This was a somber experience. This really tugged at your heart being at the site of one of the most horrific terrorist attack in America’s history. Seeing all the names at the reflecting pools and the survivor tree that survived the attack was truly incredible. We then were treated to a true surprise. We were given permission to go up in One World Trade Center that is currently under construction but has recently surpassed the Empire State Building at the tallest building in New York. We were taken to the 39^th floor and then to the last completed floor the 71^st. This was a truly amazing view of the New York skyline. We then were allowed to go to the memorial museum. This was a sobering experience seeing all the artifacts from the aftermath. This was truly amazing. Well five more to go.

On the Fire Boat in the Harbor