Hm... I've never experienced dry 40*C... only tropical. Should be an interesting experience.

Are you suggesting to buy some blue socks and bring them with me? Or wait to see what they issue, and try to find socks that look similar? Same deal with white socks, or do they issue regular sports/crew socks in white?

I've got a pair of those $5 Old Navy flip flops... I'll be sure to pack them with me.

I totally forgot about the flip flops, but yes you will need them. About 500 people use the same showers in the fitness gym and the PDT gym. So if any of them have athlete's foot or antyhing like that, you will get it. Most of the time you don't have time to dry off properly after showering, so you are basically putting your soaking wet feet into socks and then into shoes for the rest of the day. If anything is a breeding ground for gross stuff, that is it.

As far as socks go, just buy some black or dark blue sport socks to go with the uniform and some long (ie. not ankle socks) white sport socks to go with your fitness uniform. You might get in trouble for both, but it is worth it.

For the record, it was Five-Oh who told me to bring flip flops :D

anyone know anything about E.R.T? i cant seem to find where they train at?

They train all over the place depending on what they're training on. You need a certain amount of service before you can even apply to ERT. If you're not a member yet, don't even bother looking into it because it is a long ways away.

What kind of camera should I bring? A point-and-shoot, or a DSLR? I'm a bit of a shutterbug... I'm guessing there won't be any "photo-ops" during any of the training... It'd be something just for the weekends/free time?

If you like photography bring whatever camera you want. There are lots of opportunities to take pictures during the training and I'd recommend taking as many as you can. It would be good if your camera can take video too. I have a video of me getting tear gassed and it is pretty funny to watch yourself in the gas chamber.

Also, everyone in the troop gets a job and one of the jobs is the photographer. The photographer takes a ton of pictures, makes a picture board to display at the grad weekend, and makes a CD of a whole bunch of pictures for all the troopmates.

DSLR it is, along with my laptop in order to move all the photos off the memory card at the end of each day, and to process. I'll bring my point and shoot for the video bits. Although, I already feel like I'm over-packing.

Youtube is your friend and ours. ;)

ahh is is kind of off topic but still related



i was wondering if i take criminal justice at langara would increase my chance of being accepted to the depot?

+1!

same question applies to me, but i am only going for a certificate

If you are in the the school system working towards a degree, diploma or even certificate and you want to eventually become a police officer then if i were you id still apply.

If you are taking classes, it wont hurt to fill out an application. Worse case scenario you dont make it in, but you'll have some of the application filled out for when you apply again or maybe they'll just defer you til you graduate.

BEST case scenario - you get hired and you dont have to go to school! Then when you get back you could even finish your schooling on your days off and I think the Force will cover the expenses

An odd question but during depot, is any part of the uniform that you need to wear made of wool?

Thanks

The Red Serge is wool

Which, when worn in Billings Montana in July in 110 degree F temp, or Dallas texas in 99% humidity and 95 degree F, is VERY hot. Trust me on this one :(

They also paid us to be there Tim..... oh by the way the took the horses away too...... (just kidding yournot quite that old) yet.

Yes......

As noted Red Serge and puffy pants are made with wool so are the wipe cord pants...... If they still issue them.

No wipe cord pants :( you can 1216 them tho ;)

You mean whipcords? Wish we still had them for cold weather wear. Got them in B Div and I hear for Northern Service, along with mukluks.

Just a question regarding the first posting. I got the impression at the information session way back when that the first posting would be a few years, at least. I've since had aux officers and volunteers tell me that it'll be just 6 months to a year kind of gig. Which is it?
I'd rather have the few years bit.

It depends on where you go, there are postings called "limited duration posting" but even those are a few years. Theres a guy in Surrey that has done his entire service there (over 30 years). Most first postings are at least a few years.

Thanks, thats what I thought. I wouldn't see how such a short stint would be benificial to anyone, especially as a first posting.

i've got a question with regards to the hiring of RCMP offficers. My dad is reading a book on the history of the RCMP, and there is specific mention in it about people being hired on as "regular members" and people being hired on as commissioned officers, similar to that of military fashion. Is that still done today, or are all members hired on equally, with those earning promotions, getting them sort of thing?

Our current commissioner William Elliot was never a regular member... that should answer your question

Not quite, because I was under the impression that he is the first non-regular member to have ever been appointed to the position of commissioner.

But then, following my own words of wisdom, and those frequently posted here, I searched, and found this:
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/factsheets/fact_badges_e.htm
which explains that they are all (except in the case of the current commissioner) regular members who have been appointed to that position (for the higher-ups) and/or earned their rank (for the not quite-so higher-ups).