Special to the Citizen

The week of July 21 to 25 members from the Sheriff’s Explorer Post attended the 2008 National Law Enforcement Explorer Conference in Fort Collins, Colorado.  This year’s conference was attended by more than 3,500 Explorers representing law enforcement agencies from all 50 states, and Puerto Rico. 
   

This was the fourth National Event for the Sheriff’s group.  The week was filled with team and individual competitions to test the Explorers knowledge and skills. 
   

Training for the events began last fall.  Our group was eligible to compete in four team competitions but had to be prepared for 12 different events.  They did not know what their event was until they were “dispatched.”  They competed in “Crime Prevention”, “Crime Scene Search,” “Bomb Threat Response,” and “Burglary in Progress.”. The Explorers did extremely well in all events. 
   

Members from the Post competed in a variety of individual events including Obstacle Course, Air Pistol Competition, Emergency Vehicle Driving Course, and 9mm Pistol Competition. 
   

While in Colorado the explorers conquered Colorado State University Ropes Course and spent an afternoon whitewater rafting on the Poudre River. 
   

The group also hiked around Bear Lake and to the top of Mount McConnell in the Rocky Mountain National Park.   
   

The group was chaperoned by Sgt. Mark Williams and Cpl. Josh Hayes from the Sheriff’s Office, and EMT Jami Benson from National EMS. 
   

The next event for the Explorers will be the Annual Winterfest Competition in Gatlinburg, Tenn. 
   

Membership to the program is open to young men and women in the eighth to 12th grade.  Anyone interested in joining can contact Sgt. Mark Williams at the Sheriff’s Office.