While Mom, Jeff and I were one day visiting my parents home sometime during 1989, my dad was returning home that afternoon after working a shift with Utah Highway Patrol. He walked into the house with a UHP application in his hand, handed it to me and told me to look into it!
The thought of working for the Utah Highway Patrol was exciting, but I had some serious reservations about working on the sabbath day. I pondered and prayed about it and was eventually led to an Ensign magazine article which helped me to make the decision to apply. The article spoke of Colonel Dennis Nordfelt who was serving as the current superintendent of the UHP, as well as experiences he had had during his career, and his service in the church (maintaining his spiritual strength).
The following September, I went up to the Rampton Complex and participated in the PT and written test- passed both. The PT consisted of pull-ups, running slalom-like through a bunch of chairs, flexibility, sit-ups and the 1.5 mile run. At that time you did not need to pass each test individually, you just needed enough overall points from the various tests to pass. But, one of my weaknesses was the sit-ups.
I was eventually hired and was assigned to be working in Davis County after passing the POST academy.
On, or about July 9th, 1990, I began the POST academy. The majority of our academy class was made up of UHP Troopers. A new PT standard had been implemented which now consisted of: flexibility, push-ups, sit-ups and 1.5 mile run- and each exercise needed to be passed at a certain level. Sit-ups were still my weakness, but I fully participated during each PT, hoping to strengthen my core more than it had previously been. I was making good headway towards passing everything as needed. But, at the four week mark a PT test is given and each cadet needed to pass it in order to progress into remaining eight week block known as the "Law Enforcement Block", where you get to do all of the fun practical exercises and firearms, EVO, etc. I (and a couple of others) fell short by a few sit-ups, and was told that in two days I could have one more chance to pass. Not knowing the human body as I know it now, I failed to realize that the best thing for me to do was to do nothing during those two days and to just let my body and muscles rest. Rather, I kept trying to pound out more sit-ups thinking that it would help me to be stronger during the test. I failed the sit-ups on the second chance test by two. I was now out of POST!
Along with Kevin Elmer (who also failed the sit-ups) we had to go over to UHP HQ where we met with Lt. Col. Gary Gunrud. Kevin, who had just come out of UHP Protective Services was told that he could go back to his old job. Gary also offer me a position at Protective Services, which I took. He also told me that I would need to test again the following year if I wanted to come out on the road as a Trooper.
At PS, I would work two swing shifts on Monday and Tuesday, and then work two 12 hour graveyard shifts on Friday and Saturday of each week at the Rampton Complex. I hated it, but I did it. Inside of the brief case that I took with me to work each shift, along with my books to read, I had taped a piece of paper on the inside that I would immediately see each time it was opened and which read "TROOPER". This was to constantly remind me to prepare for the next testing opportunity.
After the first of the year (1991) I got busy with running, sit-ups, push-ups and flexibility. My friend, Wade Binks, who lived close by at the time said that he would go running with me in the mornings, which we did until he moved some months later. I reapplied and again had the opportunity to test with the UHP.
The test was to be early on a Saturday morning there at the Rampton Complex POST gym. I was scheduled to work the graveyard shift the night before, and I was nervous that it would leave me physically depleted for the PT. With permission I arranged with another PS officer to cover for part of the shift in order to allow me to go and find a vacant room at POST to sleep for a few hours.
When the PT was administered I easily passed the first few tests, including the sit-ups. The only thing left to do was the 1.5 mile run. As we were moving outside to the parking lot for the test, I now suddenly felt a weak wobbly feeling in the legs. I was now worried, even before the run had started, that I was going to be so drained of strength that I would fail the run after spending all of that time preparing beforehand.
I began to pray! The run started and I kept praying: "Heavenly Father, I have tried so hard to prepare for this test and have done my best to live right. If it be Thy will, please help me now! Suddenly, I found strength coming into my weary legs and body (D&C 89:20), and I felt as though an unseen power had taken over my stride as my legs now felt as lite as air. I passed!
The UHP required me to go through all of the previous interviews and requirements as before. Eventually, I was offered a position to work in Section 8, Tooele County.
POST started on 08 July 1991. This time I went in with more confidence in myself, and also with having some others from PS in the class it made it so that I immediately knew others right off. After the first week, as we were all getting to know one another, the personalities began to emerge- a couple were cocky, some were timid, and most were just plain funny!!! But we got things accomplished and could be serious when we needed to be. But, when you have Ted Tingey in the mix there is never a dull moment! The best part was that he didn't need to be crude to be funny, unlike a few of the others. There was a lady (Sandy PD) who sat directly in front of Ted in our classroom. One particular day she was tired and had put her head down on the desk during class time and fell asleep. Ted had a bunch of loose change in his pocket which he took and gently dropped each coin down the back of her uniform pants which had a wider opening at the belt line since she was leaning forward. At the next class break, and as everyone stood up to go outside, you could hear all of those coins hitting the floor as they slid down her pant legs.
The only struggle that I had during this academy was the nighttime firearms qualification. There were approximately ten of us that had to do some extra practicing in order to get the muscle-memory down. We all got it!
We graduated on 25 September, and then went to two weeks of UHP training before actually going to work out in Tooele Co.
The Protective Services Uniform
Back: Dave Swenson, Ryan Bauer, Wayne Gifford, Eric McPherson, Kevin Bradshaw, TJ, Shane Nordfelt, Kelly Wuthrich, Ross LaRue
Not pictured: Ted Tingey (his Dad passed away)
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