EXPLORER POST 805 AWAITING CONTEST

MANTECA -- If a presidential motorcade ever comes through town, Explorers
Law Enforcement Post 805 will be ready.

Presidential Motorcade Security is one of 11 techniques the troop has been
practicing in preparation for the annual Code 3 Explorer Competition
Saturday and Sunday in Altadena.

Eight Explorers and four adult chaperons will head for Southern California
on Friday. The trip is being funded with earnings from events such as the
annual National Night Out car cruise and with a $450 gift from the Kiwanis
Club.

Last year, in their first time competing in the event, the post took a
first place in Traffic Collision Investigation, a fourth in Jetliner
Hijacking Intervention and a fifth in Driving Under the Influence Traffic
Stop.

"We've been practicing every day for the last two weeks, four hours a day,"
Explorer Jolie Sturges said. "The one I'm looking forward to most is the
Presidential Motorcade. This is the first year they've done it, and the
Secret Service will have their Suburbans and limos there and we get to
actually use those."

Sturges said some Explorer posts arrive at the competition with very little
preparation, but Post 805 goes all out.

"Last year, when we got fourth place in Jetliner Hijacking, the team went
to the airport and got the floor plans for every airplane. So when the
judges said 'United Airlines,' they just got out the floor plans for that
and knew just what to do. No one else had done that."

Events change from year to year. This year, the post will compete in Felony
Traffic Stop, Crime Scene Investigation, Building Search, Presidential
Motorcade, DUI Traffic Stop, Undercover Drug Bust, Marijuana Garden Raid,
Officer Down-Barricaded Suspect and Crash Victim Extrication.

The Explorers taking part this year are Michael Dittman, Randy Huffman, Ian
Osborn, Les Rowe, Dennis Schupp, Jolie Sturges, Jon Thayer and Eddie
Thomason. They'll be accompanied by officer John Machado of the Police
Department and his wife, Jennifer, and community services officer Rex
Osborn and his wife, Teri.

Post 805 will compete against about 400 other Explorers.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski