vol3/#7

April 1991

Peter Hyne, Volunteer District Assistant Chief of
the Nanaimo Fire Department, took this
spectacular shot on April 17 during live fire
training of adjunct Fire Academy faculty in
Nanaimo. They were training in the assembly
and use of the propane canon. The huge
fireball was created when unusually warm
weather caused the pressure in the cannon to
increase. See story, page 4.

Excellence Committee seeks core values
by Phil Crosby-Jones

The most important task facing
the Excellence Committee is its
responsibility for the development of a set of "core values" common to all Academies and
Divisions at the JI. This set of
principles will let everyone know
what we at the JI stand for. It
will serve as a road map towards
excellence for each of us in both
our work and our relationships
with one another, our clients, students and the public at large.

For such "core values" to be
truly representative of the JI
requires a sense of ownership by
all who work here. To that end,
each Academy and Division has
been asked to conduct a "brainstorming" session to identify its
own "core values." These values
will theri be subject to synthesis
by the Excellence Committee in
order to generate a common set of
core values for the JI.
Derek White, Paramedic

Academy, has already conducted
a workshop with members of that
Academy. The core values
generated at that workshop have
been operationalized within the
Academy and, according to
Paramedic Instructor, Ernie
Gaudet, are a source of renewed
pride, awareness and commitment by faculty and staff
towards the promotion of excellence.
continued on page 2

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

Police Academy
hosts "less than
lethal force"
workshop
Several months ago, a coroner's
report recommended that, "the
Justice Institute with another appropriate agency research alternatives to the use of deadly force by
police, including the study of impact weapons, capsicum and other
non-lethal agents."
In April, the Police Academy
hosted a workshop sponsored by
the BC Police Commission which
showcased weapons designed to be
effective without inflicting the degree of damage inflicted by some
of the weapons currently in use.
Three "use-of-force" instructors
from the United States demonstrated a side-handle baton that
can be used either in defence or as
a baton, and a new chemical spray
that can stun an attacker. Corrections officers Paul Erickson (an Instructor with the Corrections
Academy) and Gord Racette, Cst.
Joel Johnston of the Vancouver
Police, and Vancouver Province
reporter Greg Middleton volunteered to help test the chemical
spray called "Cap-Stun." Their obvious discomfort gave participants
a preview of its effectiveness.
In addition to BC police officers
from all ranks and departments,
and representatives from Corrections and Court Services, visitors
from a number of other agencies
across Canada who are involved in
the use of force attended the
workshop. 0

Excellence Committee...continuedfrom page 1

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The Excellence Committee Plus One.
Front row (I to r): Phil Crosby-Jones (Chair), Sandra Rice, Tracey Mydonick, Jim Bond.
Back row (I to r): Larry Goble, l:Jebbie Watts, Ernie Gaudet, Peter Pershick.

Other emerging roles for the
Excellence Committee include:
JI Ombudsman
The committee could operate in
a facilitation capacity to help
staff or students who felt that
they were unable to accomplish
an objective through regular
channels, or were unclear about
where to bring their concerns.
This would be a way for the
committee to offer its services to
support the core values established for the JI.
Orientation to the JI
Another area where the· committee could be useful is the
orientation process to the JI.
Several members noted that
they were not aware that a new
orien tation package is available; it is not always being used
by all the.academies/ divisions.
The committee has agreed to
support the process by contact-

Successful participants from the Nisga'a show
off their certificates from the Front Une Training
for Residential Settings program. The Nisga 'a
operate several group homes in New Aiyansh
(north of Terrace). The homes are used as
facilities for the community's children while
they attend school during the week. The front
line training program offers participants the
opportunity to learn basic skills in the areas .of
written and verbal communication, conflict
management and stress management. Marg
Huber, Amanda White and Elaine Stoll, the
instructors in the program, were warmly
welcomed by the community and enjoyed the
enthusiasm and commitment to learnmg that
they experienced with the group in New
Aiyansh.

ing new staff members within
the first month of arrival to ensure they have been properly
oriented. To help facilitate this
process, Debbie Watts has
agreed to send each committee
member an orientation package
for review.
President Larry Goble, who attended the last committee meeting, suggested that the primary
focus for the committee should be
a role where staff are recognized
for their continued exceptional
performance within the JI. He
suggested also that the committee explore methods for
acknowledging the performance
of JI students and that the Board
be involved in excellence recognition.
Phil Crosby-Jones, Director of
the Police Academy, chairs the
Excellence Committee. 0

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2

•••SPOTLIGHT•••
On staff
Paul Dampier has resigned
his position as Program Director,
Educational Services Division, to
accept a position as Registrar and
Director of Educational Support
Services with Northern Lights
College in Dawson Creek. Northern Lights College has nine campuses and learning centres
serving 13 northern communities.
Paul will be responsible for co-ordinating and facilitating the efforts of College staff across the
region in the areas of registration, libraries, marketing, community relations, student

records, financial aid, daycare
centres, bookstores, international
education, and student council
liaison.
Pati Alain is assisting in the
Library on a part time basis
while Lydia Stewart is on sick
leave. Lydia is expected to be
away for approximately two
months.
Still with the Library ... Diane
Nation resigned her position as
Library Assistant effective the
end of February. Diane wants to
spend more time at home with
her daughter, Katherine, born
last September.
Cindy Teather, who held
continued on page 6

JI Student Profile

Why do people take Justice Institute courses? Generally, our
students take those courses that
will get them ahead in their own
area of justice and public safety.
When a deputy sheriff graduates
from Justice Institute courses, for
example, we know that she is involved with the Courts Academy.
But when this same deputy
sheriff also graduates from courses sponsored by the Fire
Academy and the Paramedic
Academy, we know that she is a
committed student.
Marion Harvey is Deputy
Sheriff II and a supervisor in
North Vancouver. She has lost
The JI News Vol 31#7

count of the JI courses she has
taken, but she has recently completed Fire Safety at Work, First
Responder, Performance Planning and Review, Management
Skills, Labour Relations, Panel
Chairperson, and Coaching Skills
(instructional techniques) - and
these are just the courses that
she remembers. Marion will take
courses to help her perform her
job better, and because of her
dedication her management has
been extremely supportive of her
requests. If management is not
able to sponsor her, Marion will
probably take the course on her
own. She often finds out about
the courses from the Extension
Programs course calendar.
Marion is the second person to
complete Fire Safety at Work, a
course designed for non fire service personnel. She chose to take
this course while on secondment
because it gave her background to
co-ordinate a fire plan for use
within court buildings in Vancouver, North Vancouver,
Squamish, Sechelt, Richmond
and Delta. Now, when courts personnel are travelling throughout
these areas, they know that they
have a generic fire safety plan. 0

New
member
appointed to
JI Board
The Honourable Bruce Strachan,
former Minister for Advanced
Education, Training and Technology, recently announced the appointment of Dr. Gerard
McKenzie to the Board of the Justice Institute of BC. In his letter
to Dr. McKenzie, the Minister emphasized that "the role of the
Board in the leadership and governance of our universities, colleges
and institutes is integral to the
success of our post secondary system. In agreeing to serve on the
Board, you will be performing a
valuable service to your community and the Province."
Dr. McKenzie received his
pre-medical and medical school
education from the University of
British Columbia. He graduated
from medical school in 1977,
served his internship at the Ottawa Civil Hospital, and residences at the Vancouver General,
Shaughnessy, Royal Columbian,
Children's and acute care hospitals in the Vancouver area. Dr.
McKenzie presently is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the
Prince George Regional Hospital
where he has held a number of
positions since joining them in
1985.
On hearing of Dr. McKenzie's
appointment, Chairman Bob
Stewart immediately wrote,
welcoming him to the JI Board
and stating, "we look forward to
you joining us and assisting us in
our efforts to provide leadership
and guidance to the Institute in
the years to come." President ·
Larry Goble also welcomed Dr.
McKenzie: as an individual who
has a lot to contribute, as a member of the medical community,
and as a resident of a region of
the province that has not previously been represented on our
Board. 0
3

Fire Academy goes boom
by Jackie Goodwin

Live fire training is unpredictable
and dangerous. In order to make
live fire training more controlled
and therefore relatively safer, the
Fire Academy uses a propane cannon and a propane tree. If you
have been in Blake Hall when fire
"simulations" are under way you
may have noticed the windows
rattle. The word simulation is
used loosely here, because there
is nothing simulated about the
fire. The fireball rises 60 feet into
the air and throws intense heat.
(In future, this fire training will
take place primarily at the BC
Safety Centre burn site in Maple
Ridge.)
In order to provide students
with the experience oflive fire,
the Fire Academy employed a Hollywood special effects technician,
Gary Paller. He designed a system adapted from the movie industry and trained Fire Academy
faculty in its proper operation.
Besides instructor and fire
fighter safety, the Academy had
to consider environmental protection. We needed a fuel that would
not pollute land, groundwater or
air. Noise pollution is also an environmental issue, but noise is as
important as flames and heat in
creating a realistic scenario.
Propane was chosen as a fuel because it produces flames and heat
but. provides a clean bum with
minimal effects on the environment.
Mechanically, the cannon is a
closed cylinder with a valve that
opens electronically. The propane
gas is under pressure in tanks.
When the valve opens, the
propane gas rushes forward to an
ignition source (a pilot light),
creating a fire ball or explosion.
The propane tree is a series of
tubes with vents for the gas to escape. It acts as a large torch. For
really large explosions the cannon
is fired through the tree while the
tree is used as a giant pilot light.
Because the cannon is fired

4

Paul Smith (/eh) and Gary Pal/er discuss propane
live fire training.

remotely and the gas can be shut
off at any time, the instructor has
control over the extent of explosion and the intensity of fire.
Fire fighting is dangerous work
and it can be life threatening to
learn the skills on the job. Tools
such as the tree and cannon pro-

vide an opportunity to train with
live fire but to introduce predictability and control while maintaining a regard for the
environment.
Jackie Goodwin is a Coordinator I Instructor in Fire
Academy. CJ

Conflict Resolution Certificate
Program offered in satellite locations
Extension Programs' Conflict
Resolution Certificate Program is
expanding to six locations outside the Vancouver area.
Courses will be held this fall in
Kelowna, Whitehorse, Victoria,
Fort St. John, Quesnel, and
Tacoma, Washington. Courtenay
and Nelson have also expressed
an interest in running the
program and are currently
exploring interest in their communities.
In Tacoma, the program will be
offered through Tacoma College;

courses in Victoria will be available through co-sponsorship with
Camosun College; in Kelowna,
the program is co-sponsored with
Okanagan College; and Yukon
College co-sponsors the
Whitehorse program.
This popular certificate program was created to meet the
needs of a wide range of professionals for increased skill and
knowledge in dealing with conflict
in their work environments. It is
the only program of its kind in
Canada. CJ
The JI News Vol 31#7

Social Committee scores
success with
Tacky Pub Night
measurable dent in
our memories.
Those merry
pranksters from the infemalFire Academy
stole the evening - and
all the expensive
Pat Abercrombie (Olga the Athlette)
prizes - with their
was one of the big winners.
creative, none-too-subtle ensembles. Winyou for your moral and monetary
ners - decided by the
support - and warns that it will
most cat-calls and
be back to pester you. Don't forboos - were Anne
get the JI Barbecue and All-Party
Betsy and Bitsy- otherwise known as Dennette
Langdon (Hot), Dennis
Election Campaign on (new date)
Retel (I) and Robyn Towle.
Leigh (Elvis) and Pat
Friday, June 14th. Be there, and
Abercrombie (Olga).
Well, Tacky is what we asked for,
bringyourflanks, chops, br ...ts
They were all in their everyday
and Tacky is what you delivered and other body parts with you.
wear. We were especially
in spades, helmets, ties, earrings
More details to follow.
and assorted tack-drag. And to
transported by Elvis' tie. Congratulations on your coup de feu!
those who chose to turn up in
P.S. 1 The 50/50 winner was Norm
their work clothes ... that was exSpecial thanks are extended to
Matheson from Paramedic
tremely tacky, so you definitely
our MC for the evening, the
Academy. Norm! Come and
suavely-Tacky Tad from Excontributed to the spirit of the
pick up your winnings, or else
evening!
tenuating Circumstance
le'll...
Bitsy and Betsy, by far the
Programs, for his brave attempts
P.S. Montages of Pub Night
brunettest and blondest barto be heard above the roar of the
photos will be posted in the
(tacky) crowd of revellers.
tenders this side of the CAF base,
Lawrence and Blake Hall Staff
and Muffy (aka Sabrina) jumpThe Social Committee thanks
Lounges real soon. Beware! 0
started the whole tacky affair by
dispensing tickets, name tags and
suds. They were even able to
pawn off the San Miguel-for
which there was zero demand.
Very tacky but a most impressive
coup d'etete. Brava, Bits and
Bets!
The Seriously Sincere Segment
of an otherwise tasteless evening
was hosted by Phil Crosby-Jones,
who applauded Ed Illi and dished
Keith Hutchinson for the various
"accomplishments" achieved
during their secondments tO the
Police Academy, and by the urbane Bob Hull who fired off a volley of live thanks (and blank
looks) on behalf of the retiring
(but not shy) John Waddirigton the JI's own Guy Fawkes. Their
MC Tad Dick is head, shoulders and thumb above Fire Academy's Tacq Pub
contributions to the JI and their
Night contestants (I· rJ Irwin De Vries, Dennette Retel, Carlos Rockhill and Anne
Langdon. Pat Ross (background) seems amused by their antics.
respective fields have left a
The JI News Vol 31#7

5

• • • NOTES & NOTICES • • •
The Justice Institute
of B.C.
is dedicated to
improving the
quality of justice
and public sarety
by developing
and delivering
training programs
and offering
educational services
to professionals
and
the public.

Women make up almost half
of the SOth police recruit class
Monday, April 22nd marked the
commencement of the 50th
recruit class at the Police
Academy. By recent standards
this is a small class of 16, but in
terms of its make-up it represents
a breakthrough in gender balancing: 44% of the 50th recruit class
are female Constables. Whether
this heralds a trend or is merely
an aberration remains to be seen.
In any event, it is a refreshing
and encouraging sign that a determined effort is being made by
police recruiting staff to increase
the representation of women in
policing.

Wanted- Hockey Players
A group of individuals at the
Justice Institute who .dn...n.at consider themselves as "Old Time"

hockey players, are looking for
any players within the Justice Institute who would like to form a
team and play once in a while
against another team whose
members probably consider themselves as "Old Time~ hockey
players.
If you would like to play an occasional game of hockey, have
fun, and still be able to make it to
work the next day, call Peter Pershick, local 231; Bob Walker, local
206; or Paul Pershick, local 297.

Now you can bike to work
The fresh air and exercise
devotees among us will be pleased
to learn that, just in time for the
biking season, the JI is installing
bike racks. The first rack has
been located outside portable #14
near Blake Hall. Another rack is
on order and will be placed outside Lawrence Hall. 0

Spotlight... connnuedfrom page 3
temporary positions in Extension
Programs and Courts Academy
for several months last fall, is
assisting in the Registration Office. She replaces Brenda Adam
who resigned the position at the
end of March to return to Edmonton.

Recognition
Media Centre Technician Curt

Hunter's second independent
film is premiering in the JI's
Blake Hall theatre on May 9.
Titled Deadline, the film is
described as "taking us into
new dimensions in the darkness
of man ..." where Hunter"... plays
with our Psyches with disturbing
scenes of split personality,
time warp, conspiracy and Murder!" The show starts at
7:30. 0

Upcoming 1991 Social Events
Month
May

23:

June

14:

Activity
50/50Draw
Annual Barbecue featuring
• the Texas Mickey Draw
• June 50/50 Draw
• other surprising events

Winner of the April 50/50 Draw: Norm Matheson,
Paramedic Academy
We'll keep you posted on further events.....

Your Social Committee
6

The JI News Vol 31#7