There’s a new face at the detachment

By Jamie Rieger

There’s a new face among the ranks at the Bow Island/Foremost RCMP detachment.
Andrew Crouse has been on staff since the beginning of May and is busy learning the jurisdiction and getting to know the communities in which he will work.
Crouse hails from Nova Scotia and recently completed a two month posting in Ottawa, conducting security on Parliament Hill.
“It was a good experience and there is still very heightened security there,”
“I always wanted to be a Mountie. A friend of my parents who is now retired was very happy with his career and he had an influence on my decision,” said Crouse.
Crouse, who studied  Kinesiology at university, attended RCMP training at “Depot” Division in Regina from Sept., 2014 until March 2 of this year. On March 4, he was at his posting in Ottawa.
“Depot was challenging; mentally and physically; but, it was also a lot of fun,” he said, adding that he took training in Police Sciences, shooting, driving, fighting, and law.
It was the PARE (Physical Ability Requirement Evaluation) obstacle course that really tested the potential Mountie’s endurance.
“It is a pre-requisite for the program. PARE is an obstacle course that you must complete in 4:45 seconds in order to be eligible for the next stage of the selection process,” said Crouse. “At Depot, you have to do it in under 4:00 and it involves a simulation.”
The test involves various activities involving walking, running, jumping, climbing, vaulting, lifting, carrying, pulling, and pushing. Included in the test is a scenario where they arrive at the site of an incident, physically resolve the situation, and remove a person or material. In completing this task, they must complete a six-lap obstacle course, a pulling/pushing task, and carrying a 36-kilogram torso bag for 15 meters.
Crouse successfully completed the training and was off to Ottawa for duty with Parliament Hill security.
“We scanned for bombs and suspicious persons. Our job was to protect the House of Commons,” he said.
Crouse began his post with the Bow Island/Foremost detachment on May 1, for six months of field training.
“So far, so good. Everybody has been very helpful and nice,” he said.