The RCMP will have two new recruits, as soon as they're old enough to apply. Local Grade 11 students Emily Reid and Trevor Smith are eager to get their applications in to the force after spending their spring break at the RCMP Youth Academy in Chilliwack.
"I think it was the most amazing experience of my life," Emily said. "The camp made me want to do it as a career."
Trevor was equally influenced by the eight-day camp. "It was the best experience of my life to date," he said. "I'm going to apply to the RCMP as soon as I'm 18."
The two local students both had an interest in policing as a career before they attended the camp, which is meant to give youth a taste of what it's like to be an RCMP officer.
The students were divided into platoons along with 45 other students from B.C. chosen to take the program from March 26 to April 3.
They arose at 4:30 a.m. each morning to start the day's busy schedule with rigorous physical activity, which Trevor enjoyed.
"Usually we'd have to do 100 burpies or go on a 'fun run,' which is a 10 km run, and every 500 metres you do 30 push ups or 30 burpies or 30 sit ups," Trevor said. "It was awesome."
After an hour of physical activity teens were routinely given five minutes to shower and muster for breakfast.
"That was pretty hard. They're trying to mess with you mentally so they set you up to fail a lot," Trevor said.
"It's because there's so many inconsistencies with the job. You need to be prepared to deal with situations that are messing with you mentally."
Students took part in a variety of different scenarios common to the RCMP, such as arresting drunk drivers.
"Those were really fun. The police officers acted out scenarios for us," Trevor said.
"The car is set up behind them and you have to call in on the radio and tell dispatch what's going on, use all your 10 codes and the phonetic alphabet and run the licence plate and get out and arrest them. They were pretending to be belligerently drunk a lot of the time, not listening."
Emily enjoyed her first time handcuffing someone during one of those scenarios.
"That was fun. I really felt in control for sure," she noted.
Students also got to visit the Pacific regional training facility where all of B.C.'s officers receive their combat training.
"We got to go down there and visit for a day and meet all the different areas of the RCMP like the emergency response team and crowd control and the IHIT, which is like CSI. They came in and did presentations for us and we got to do hands on work and scenarios with them," Trevor said.
While the local teens had a good time and enjoyed the experience, discipline was always stressed.
"Like, for example, when you're standing in ranks you couldn't move a muscle and if you looked the wrong way or looked the constable in the eye, you'd be down doing 20 push ups," Trevor said.
Emily enjoyed the structure and noted the only down side for her was leaving at the end of the eight-day camp.
"After getting used to it, I loved the environment so much there, so I think leaving was the hardest part for me," she said.
High school students can apply to attend the RCMP camp each year in September, and both Trevor and Emily encourage more Sunshine Coast students to give it a try.
"It will 100 per cent change your life," Trevor added.
