March/April 1993

vol 5/#4

Excellence
Committee
honours
award
recipients

foam from the seat in his truck
were transformed into shrubs
and trees, and a puddle of glue
that leaked from his glue gun
took on the form of flames.
David constructed his first
model town for his home department in Surrey. It proved to be
so useful that the JI's Fire Academy was soon borrowing it - and

At the Justice Institute's firstever Excellence Awards luncheon
on June 24, the following award
recipients will be honoured for
their special contribution to excellence at the JI:
Marje Burdine, for envisioning,
designing, and implementing a
highly successful conflict resolution training program at the JI.
The program is unique in North
America, and since 1984 has
trained skilled mediators for practice in workplace, family, and community settings.
Mary Lester, who, over the
past years, has gone out of her
way to help staff and students on
many occasions. Mary is universally admired and respected for
her commitment to excellence at
the JI. She is in charge of Accounts Payable and payroll functions.
Terry Metcalf, Assistant Fire
Chief, Langley Fire Department,
for his long-term volunteer services to the Fire Academy as an
instructor. Terry is also recognized for managing training for
volunteer and career personnel,

continued on page 2

continued page 4

Firefighter Mike Davidfright) with (left to right) Fire Academy Director Paul Smith,
JI President arry Goble, and Fire Commissioner Rick Duma/a.

Surrey firefighter
donates a model town to
the Fire Academy
When Surrey firefighter Mike
David saw the model town that
was being used for training, he
knew he could do better.
His artistic eye was soon on
the look-out for material to use
in constructing a new model, and
he found it everywhere: scraps of
wood thrown out by a furniture
manufacturer became houses and
other buildings, shredded bits of

Fire Academy • Police Academy • Corrections Academy • Finance and Administration • Courts Academy
Educational Services and Interdisciplinary Studies • Paramedic Academy • Provincial Emergency Program Academy

Model... cont'dfrom page 1
now, David has donated a town,
complete with all the accessories
and carrying cases, to the Fire
Academy.
The town is used in table top
training for Incident Command
programs to simulate hazardous
material incidents, different
types of fire situations, and planning scenarios. The town was constructed to scale and took more
than 200 hours to construct. It is
valued at $2,500.
The accessories for the Jrs
model include a variety of vehicles, simulated flame and smoke,
signs to change building occupancies, underground parking, and indicators for wind direction.
David's reputation has grown
since he constructed that first
model, and six fire departments
have now commissioned their own
model towns. "The bonus is that
it's so visual," David says, and he
ensures that the models he builds
are realistic - all the way down
to customized colours for the miniature fire trucks. 0

PEP Academy ESS Instructor, Sally
Pollock, displays the Certificate of
Recognition she received from The
Honourable Joan Smallwood, Minister
Responsible for Social Services, in
recognition of her outstanding
contribution to Emergency Social
Services. The certificate was presented
at a luncheon at Richmond's Municipal
Hall on April 16.

2

Two program initiatives
in Courts Academy
Defensive tactics
Defensive tactics training for deputy sheriffs in B.C. will have a
new face as of June 1. Defensive
tactics training is concerned with
two main areas. First, it protects
deputy sheriffs from potential
harm caused by physical attacks.
Second, it provides a variety of
techniques to subdue and control
prisoners and other potential assailants.
This new program, administered by the Courts Academy, will
train approximately 15 deputy
sheriffs and three to five guests
from police agencies to deliver a
new program across the province.
The program for instructors was
developed and will be instructed
by Police Safety System, a U.S.
defensive tactics specialist organization with a wide variety of experience in this specialty. The
program was first implemented in
the Interior region, under the
leadership of Warren Mauerer,
Regional Resource and Development Officer. Interest in the program grew, until it was formally
endorsed by Courts Management
Board and assigned to the Justice
Institute for delivery. Deputy
Sheriff Barry Adkins, a certified
instructor for Police Safety Systems, will assist in the instruction, as will Det. Bruce
Cruikshank, Edmonton Police Department. Brian Woods, Program
Co-ordinator at the Courts Academy, is co-ordinating the delivery
of the program.
The program differs from previous training in that it is simulation based. Throughout the
course learners are placed in situations wh.ere they are challenged
to gain control and protect themselves. The focus is on the real
world, where situations are dynamic and unpredictable. The
program includes the following
areas:
• reasoned level of force decision
making (under pressure, in

real-life situations);
• weaponless control tactics (uniformed presence, verbal skills,
empty hand control);
• impact weapons (expandable
baton);
• speed cuffing;
• weapon retention; and
• situational training.
Upon completion of the instructor training program, the instructors will be part of a technical
advisory team working with the
Courts Academy to train all
sheriffs in the province over a
three year term.

Family ru!es training
Over the past nine months, the
Courts Academy has managed
the development of a major new
program for family court registries in B.C. The program followed a train-the-trainer model in
equipping persons from each of
the six court regions to deliver instruction in the new family rules
which have recently been passed
into law.
The rules come from a recent,
but significant, history. Rules
based on family-related legislation specify procedures to be followed in putting the law into
action. In 1988, the Justice Reform Committee expressed concern about family court
procedures that were based on
criminal processes, as well as
about delays in applications getting to court. The Ministry of Attorney General developed a set of
rules, in plain language, that
would address these problems. In
1989, the Family Court Rules
Committee began developing new
rules for family court.
Recently, the rules have been
updated and improved. The rules
and their documentation are
clearer and easier to read, and incorporate a number of improvements in court related processes.
The program was delivered
continued on page 4

The JI News Vol 51#4

•••SPOTLIGHT•••
On staff
Changes...
Sam Meckbach, Director of the
PEP Academy left the JI effective
March 31. Due to financial restraints, the academy was required to downsize and reorganize; it
is now administered by a Program Director, Peter Pershick.
Peter was previously on staff as
an instructor in the academy.

Susan Hall left her position
as Program Developer in Courts
Academy at the end of March to
accept a position as Managing
Editor of the Vancouver Community College press.
Robin Bentley has resigned
her position as assistant to IDS
Program Director, Shelley
Rivkin, to travel with her husband, race car driver Ross
Bentley. Dennette Ratel of the
Fire Academy has been hired to
replace Robin. 0

PEP Academy observes
Emergency Preparedness
Week

Christine Babec (centre left) and Kelly Keenan (centre right) accept their
personal survival packs from Peter Pershick and Linda West of
the Provmcial Emergency Program Academy.

During Emergency Preparedness
·Week, April 18-24, PEP Academy
sponsored events designed to
heighten people's awareness of
the importance of personal preparedness.
The first event was a draw for
two personal survival kits which
contain supplies one person would
need to survive for three days during an earthquake emergency.
Winners of the kits were Christine Babac (Library) and Kelly
Keenan (Corrections). To further
promote personal and family pre-

TheJ/News Vo/51#4

paredness of JI staff, the PEP
Academy will offer similar kits for
sale.
The academy placed the brochure "Prepare Now for an Earthquake in BC" in each JI staff
member's payroll envelope. The
brochure includes a list of emergency supplies and items to be included in evacuation, vehicle, and
office packs. By taking just a couple of hours to put together kits
for the office, home, or car, people
can help ensure a state of readiness to survive an earthquake. 0

New JI board
member
appointed
Membership on the JI board increased on May 1 with the appointment of Carolyn Oien. Ms. Oien is
an associate in the firm of Maier,
Jensen and Blair in Kamloops and
a member of the Indigenous Bar
Association. 0

Community
police station
program
piloted
As Canadian police departments
and detachments adopt a community policing philosophy, they are
devising and exploring strategies
that will reflect this philosophy in
their policing practices. These
strategies focus on the internal
structure of police organizations
as well as the external interactions between the police and their
community.
Externally focused strategies
include the establishment of community police stations, including
store front operations staffed
largely by volunteers. To meet
the training needs of police officers assigned to set up or take
over the management of such services, the Police Academy designed, developed, and conducted
the first national pilot Community Police Station Training
course. This two-week program,
funded by a grant from the federal Solicitor General, attracted
representatives from the Maritimes, Ontario, and Prairie Provinces.
As part of the contract, the
academy has also developed a
manual outlining how to establish
and manage community police stations. 0

3

Courts... cont'dfrom page 2

A wards... cont'd from pagel

around the province, using curricula developed specifically for this
purpose. Various other branches
and agencies also attended, including Corrections, Social Services and Family Maintenance.
A similar model will be adopted
for additional training this year
for additional family rules and
court clerk training. 0

and assistance with Edukit development and tutoring.
Alfred Niedtner, a Corporal
with the Vancouver Police Department, for his long-term voluntary
assistance to the Police Academy
as an evaluator and coach to recruits during simulation exercises
and field training. He is also recognized for his initiative in developing, coordinating, and
instructing an advanced hostage
negotiators course.
Paul Pershick, for his total
commitment to the advancement
of cross-systems co-operation at
the JI; his services through membership in, and in some cases
chairperson of, a number of JI
committees; and his contribution
to sporting and recreational
events. Paul's pioneering work
in the field of employment readiness training for Corrections is
also a contributing factor to this
award.
Linda West, Supervisor of Administrative Services, PEP Academy, whose dedication to the JI
spirit over the past ten and onehalf years has included a seven
year stint on the Social Committee. Formerly with Courts Academy, Linda kept that Academy
functioning during the lean years
by serving as support person and
trouble shooter. Her commitment

Police Academy
video wins Award
of Excellence
The Police Video Awards, Canada
program was initiated at the Jus~
tice Institute seven years ago to
recognize excellence in police
training productions. This year,
the Police Academy won the
Award of Excellence- Gold for the
Roll Call Training tape ''Theft of
Auto - What is wrong with this
picture?"
Will Mah, of the JI's Media
Centre, directed the award-winning production. He will receive
the award at the Police Educators
Board of Canada Conference in
Windsor, Ontario, in June. Ingrid
Pipke, the video's producer, is attending the conference and will
share the spotlight with Will. 0

to her job and fellow employees
has earned Linda this special recognition.
Surrey Fire Department, in recognition of the Department's contribution of personnel, fire
equipment, and buildings for the
production of Edukits. The department is also recognized for its
contribution of personnel as instructors and assistance with the
maintenance of international
accreditation standards . . 0

Next
deadline
for
submissions
to the
JI News
•

IS

June 16,

1993

Notes and Notices
Snack bar under new
management
The new Blake Hall snack bar
- renamed "Alice's Restaurant"
after the shop's owner - opened
for business on May 3.
Initial feedback on the quality of
food and service, and the new
look, has been very positive.

JI anniversary decals available
In celebration of the Jf s 15th
anniversary this year, the Police
Academy has arranged for the
production of a special foil decal

4

or seal that can be used to "dress
up" certificates, letters, and envelopes. The decals are available
from the Police Academy.

News. Social notes for "The
Latest and Greatest" should
reach Tracie by noon on Fridays.
Tracie's local is 296.

Weekly social news bulletin
to be published

PEP Academy downsizes

Tracie Mydonick, Corrections
Academy, has volunteered to publish a weekly, one-page bulletin
featuring social chit chat on who's
new at the JI, announcements of
birthdays, weddings, births, and
other noteworthy events and
achievements of the kind that
may not make the pages of The JI

Sam Meckbach, the Director of
the PEP Academy left the JI effective March 31st. Due to financial
restraints, the academy was
required to downsize and reorganize. It is now administered
by a Program Director, Peter
Pershick. Previously, Peter was
on staff as an instructor in the
academy. 0

TheJINews Vo/51#4

Fire Academy completes
Edukits development

Paul Smith (right) presents the Fire Suppression Edukit to
/:lick Dumais, Fire Commissioner.

Fire Academy Director Paul
Smith presented the Fire Suppression Edukit, the last in the series,
to Fire Commissioner Rick
Dumala on April 5th.
In order to be certified, volunteer firefighters must complete a
total of22 subjects, 21 of which
are available through Edukits.
(Because it is available through
other agencies, first aid is the
only subject that does not require
an Edukit.) Edukit packages contain text, a videotape, and graphics for overhead transparencies,
and are designed to enable students to complete subjects
through distance education. With
this last Edukit, volunteers can
now complete.the program.
The concept of developing
Edukits was conceived in 1983,
but it was not until 1985 that development of the Edukit program
was approved and work com-

The JI News Vol 51#4

menced. While a number of people have been involved in the development of Edukits over the
years - inc1uding Clive Giolma,
Rick Bentley, and Len GarisDan Murphy's dedication, commitment, and attention to detail over
the past eighteen months have
brought the project to a successful
completion.
In addition to the Edukits
developed for the program, one
other, Electrical Safety for Firefighters, was developed in conjunction with B.C. Hydro. This
Edukit, along with one for Wildland Fires which is nearing
completion, are outside the volunteer firefighter certification program.
The Academy is now setting up
a review process for each of the
Edukits. It is anticipated that
two or three kits will be upgraded each year. 0

SCAN

developer
presents
Police
Academy
program
In early March, the Police Academy hosted a Scientific Content
Analysis (SCAN) program presented by the SCAN technique's
developer, Mr. Avinoam Sapir.
Mr. Sapir is a former Israeli police officer. He holds bachelor's
degrees in psychology and criminology, and a master's degree in
criminology.
The SCAN technique is a
method for obtaining information
and detecting deception strictly
by means of verbal communication. This course changes the process of obtaining information
from an art to a science by taking
the words that the person says,
and analyzing them in a systematic way. Mr. Sapir developed
the technique by conducting
extensive research, looking in
particular at the linguistic code
people use in verbal communication.
The program stresses the structure and linguistic content of verbal communication and is useful
for individuals in.policing or the
private sector who deal with oral
or written information. It enables the participant to effectively obtain anQ. evaluate
'
information.
The SCAN course combines
many disciplines, including,
psychology, sociology, criminology, psychiatry and salesmanship. The 77 participants who
attended the March program
represented policing and private
sector organizations from the
Lower Mainland, Washington
State, and as far away as
New Brunswick and Newfoundland. 0

5

JI Move Update
by Barry Hawkins

The JI express to New Westminster passed a major station in
March with the receipt of Treasury Board and Ministry approval to proceed to the tendering
phase for the new campus.
The design team is now finalizing construction documentation
in preparation for building contract tendering.
Since our last update, Universal Access Unlimited was selected
to carry out a disability access review of the design. A report has
been issued and the project design team is currently reviewing
the comments.
Site work activities carried
out since our last update included
relocation of a dozen large mature trees on the site. The trees
would have been destroyed during building construction. A construction fence was also installed
around the northern site area in
preparation for building construction.

Meetings with City of New
Westminster planning and engineering departments continue,
with a scheduled building permit
submission date of May 19.
Interest within the construction community is increasing significantly as we approach
tendering time.
The JI is also receiving increased number of requests to

present the new campus at
various community group meetings, and we are also discussing
the concept of a number of
programs on the JI and its new
campus with a local cable TV
station.

Barry Hawkins is Project Manager for the JI's new facility. 0

Jl's "mini-move"
completed

6

The move to MacDonald Hall was
not without hitches, but staff in
Fire Academy, Paramedic Academy, the Library, and the Media
Centre are now fairly well settled
in their new home.
With the considerable efforts
of Barry Nickerson and numerous
recruits in the Police Academy,
the classrooms are rapidly also
shaping up. Barry and his team
of recruits cleared out unwanted
leftovers from the previous

occupants, shifted classroom
furniture, and are now monitoring the rooms to ensure that
things stay in good shape for student use.
To further assist those with
classes scheduled for MacDonald
Hall, Patricia McNeill and Kerry
Gruber are preparing an
instructor's user guide for the
new building. The guide is expected to be completed by the
endofMay. 0

TheJINews Vo/51#4