Maine news, sports, weather from Waterville Morning Sentinel

Rumsey needs to come home with a yellow brick

As I write this week's column, it is Wednesday morning and I've just finished our Week 8 fitness challenge -- a 5.2-mile run through a wooded trail here on the base.

Select images available for purchase in the
Maine Today Photo Store

Waterville deputy police Chief Charles Rumsey is at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va., for special training in everything from law to forensic science, terrorism, leadership development, communication and physical fitness. He will be writing about his 10-week, invitation-only, course weekly.

What an experience. It has been amazing to see the progression of physical fitness during our time, although there's plenty of moaning and groaning during fitness classes, the difference is clear on the trail.

Folks are finishing strong, and there's a marked decrease in limping and struggling back to the dorm. There's just no question about the quality of fitness instruction we've received here: lots of concentration on core strength, flexibility and cardiovascular health.

Now, there's only one challenge separating us from complete victory: the Yellow Brick Road. That's a 6.1-mile "grueling run through a hilly, wooded trail built by the Marines," according to the FBI National Academy website.

Attendees who successfully complete the course receive an actual yellow brick to keep as a reminder of the challenge. Chief Massey has his, and when I was selected to attend the academy, I knew there was no way I could return home with my head held high unless there was a yellow brick tucked under my arm. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

As my time here in history-and-culture rich Virginia draws to an end, there can be no question that the academy experience has been rewarding, enriching and educational.

It's hard, though, to know that life has marched on without me at home.

My boys have started school. C.J., my youngest son, had several teeth pulled to correct a crowding issue in his mouth. You know, it's a little harder to comfort your kids on Skype than it is in real life? He's a trooper, though, and doing much better.

My oldest son turned 17 in my absence. And something even more significant happened: Mat, who has studied martial arts at Huard's in Winslow for the last 12 years, earned his black belt.

When he started, he was a 5-year-old who looked so cute in his gi -- the karate training uniform.

Now he's taller than me, and more than a decade of martial arts training has transformed him into a strong, confident, proud young man. I wish I had been there to see him receive that belt and become a sensei. Congratulations, Mathew! You have set quite an example for your younger brother, C.J., as well as the many youth you've helped instruct at the dojo.

There can be no question, as the course of study draws to a close, that we've gained valuable knowledge here at Quantico. Two of the classes I selected -- Legal Issues Impacting Law Enforcement Operations, and Labor Law Issues for Law Enforcement Administrators -- will be especially helpful.

One class focuses on the complexities of constitutional law as it relates to search and seizure, interview and interrogation, and national security. The other, labor law, deals exclusively with what I would call the "bread and butter" issues for any administrator: the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act ... oh, I'm sorry, did you fall asleep? Wake up! This stuff is important!

A solid base of knowledge regarding these laws can help to save an agency or city from mistakes or costly missteps that could result not only in accidentally denying someone a right they are legally entitled to, but also expose the city of Waterville to liability. That's crucial to us in our positions as leaders and the first-rate instruction here will benefit the city for years to come.

Hey, anybody want to chat about civil liability or civil rights?