Keeping current with trends in Public Safety

How do you keep up with new technology or current trends in Public Safety? I subscribe to multiple magazines and newsletters. As part of my membership to NENA (National Emergency Number Association) and APCO (Associated Public Safety Communications Officials, Inc.) I receive emailed news. APCO sends out a monthly magazine to it's members. For news about Telecommunicator Emergency Response Teams (TERT), I go to NJTI-Tert.

Death First!: Trials by Combat

In today’s society, when one individual is a victim of a crime, he or she can file a report with the local law enforcement agency. After the investigation is completed, charges may or may not be filed with the county district attorney’s office depending upon if enough evidence is found to proceed with a trial. During the medieval period, it didn’t always work that way. Authorities could ignore crimes if the involved persons were high enough in the pecking order, or a bribe was offered. Sometimes the Church would step in and claim a higher power was involved.  When a sentence of death or life in prison was given, the common people were stuck but the nobility had a second option: trial by combat.

Western Conference Finals here they come!

The naysayers have to eat some words 'cause the San Jose Sharks are going to the Stanley Cup Western Conference Finals for the fifth time in 25 years. What a game seven it was. 5-0 shut-out for the men in teal. The big stars showed up with goals by Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, and Joel Ward. The team kept cool heads and only allowed 26 shots on goal with zero pucks in their net. Pekke Rinne had a bad night and was pulled after allowing five goals on 26 shots. The Predators goalie was less than thrilled and showed his ire by smashing his stick against the goal post, breaking the stick in two. Rinne then threw the remnants across the ice in disgust before skating to the Nashville bench.


In all, the Sharks played a good puck-possessing game. Instead of doing the dump & chase, the guys kept the biscuit in possession and carried it across the blue line. I saw more set-up and less of the usual passing. More shooting which resulted in goals. The D was on top of their game. This is how the Sharks beat their opponents.


According to the Sharks website:


"Pavelski scored at 8:22 on the power play with Viktor Arvidsson in the penalty box for delay of game. Thornton sent the puck below the goal line to Marleau, who found Pavelski in the low right circle. Pavelski, who had been knocked down by Rinne seconds earlier, scored on a wrist shot into the upper left corner.The goal was Pavelski's ninth of the playoffs. San Jose is 8-0 in the playoffs when he gets at least one point."


The team never looked backwards from that point onward. ESPN gathered ten hockey experts together and they are split, five to five in who wins the series. I say the Sharks in seven.




Game One is Sunday, May 15th at 5:00 pm (Pacific time)


official San Jose game seven recap


http://sharks.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/recap?id=2015030247&navid=DL|SJS|home


NHL Sharks/Blues preview:


https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-playoffs-conference-finals-predictions/c-280654866?tid=280204614




Go Sharks!


Stay safe out there.

Stick 'em with the pointy end: a brief history of swords throughout history

Every epic fantasy or historical book set before the 1800’s has at least one scene with two men facing off against each other, swords clashing, until one died in a spray of blood. Swords were handed down from father to son or taken as prizes of war. Damascus steel from India, steel from Toledo, or Ulfberht swords from Scandinavia were the top of the line. Weapons could be single edged or double, straight or curved, short or long, and used for cutting or thrusting. What is a sword but a piece of metal? The weapons are the foremost symbols of war, associated with every type of warrior from ancient times to our modern military.  

Ulfberht swords

San Jose Sharks play-offs round Two

Adversity, thy friend is a Shark.






How exciting: San Jose BEAT the Los Angeles Kings in five games during the first round of the 20-15-2016 play-offs. Those of us who bleed teal had no doubt the Sharks would move on and leave the Kings wondering what happened. Game five, in Los Angeles, was a blow out win (6-3). It was clear the Sharks were out for blood. Donskoi scored twice,  along with Tierney, Nieto, Pavelski, and Karlsson for the added to the total goal tallies. It should be noted that the games in which Pavelski scores were the games the Sharks won (the only loss he didn't).




What happens next?

My favorite San Jose Sharks players

Next week the National Hockey League playoffs begin. Unlike last year, the San Jose Sharks clinched a spot in the Pacific Division this time around. They won’t know their opponent until the end of regulation play on Sunday, 4-10. 

 

To get in the play-off mood, I thought I’d review my top ten favorite All-Time San Jose Sharks players.  As the team is celebrating its 25^th anniversary, selecting only ten was tough but I managed.

 

Here are my choices (not in any particular order):

 

Arturs Irbe (G) played five seasons with San Jose, 568 games winning 236 from 1991 through 1996 season. ‘Like Wall’ was his motto and he stood tall in goal leading the team to the play-offs for the first time in the 1993-1994 season. Irbe set records: first shut-out and most minutes played by a goaltender but it was his charisma that made him a favorite.

"You're not a real cop."

There are many types of law enforcement officers (LEOs) working to keep America safe. Most of you are familiar with the traditional street cop, sheriff's deputy, and highway patrol officer. How many know about the countless other forms of LEOs?