Explorers - Explorers Post 265 Special Unit

*For contact and meeting information, visit the Explorer Recruiting Page.

Explorers Group Page

   Explorer Post 265   

The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Explorer Post is young adults from the age range of 14 to 21 who are interested in law enforcement, fire fighting, or other leadership style careers. The mission of the Explorer Program is to build self-confidence in our Explorers, while laying a foundation of ethics, respect, honesty, integrity, and self confidence. A parallel goal is to provide a qualified and diverse pool of Kalamazoo Public Safety applicants. In 2010 there were 24 members and one civilian advisor active in the Explorer Program.

New Years Eve Festival at Bronson Park

2010 EXPLORER COMMUNITY ACTIVITES:

Working closely with our Community is an essential part of our mission. The Explorers participate in Community events and Fire Prevention instruction throughout the year. Listed are some of the events in 2010 where KDPS Explorer Post #265 represented Kalamazoo Public Safety: 

• WMU football game security and ambassadors.
• Walk Across Kalamazoo; Children's Hospital Fundraiser
• Kalamazoo Foot Chase
• National Night Out - 10 neighborhoods visited/ fire prevention trailer
• Bike Rodeo presented by KDPS & Safe Kids Coalition
• Boy Scout Jamboree "In and Around Cars" program
• Girls On the Run 5K
• Kalamazoo Kings Public School Day
• Relay For Life
• Roof Sit for Kids
• Hackett High School Graduation & President Obama's visit
• Kalamazoo Area Holiday Food Drive
• Kalamazoo Valley Community College Police Academy graduation
• Big Brother's Big Sister's Event at WMU
• Fraternal Order of Police Memorial Event
• Education for employment presentations @ KRESA orientation (3)
• "Run the Shamrock 5K run & Fitness Walk" for Hackett High School
• Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty Hunger Walk
• Kalamazoo Antique Auto Restorers Club annual Swap meet
• Kalamazoo Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by Parks and Recreation
• WMU PD Alcohol Enforcement against underage drinking
• New Year's Eve Festival @ Bronson Park

PROMOTIONS: 

Promotions used by the post, reflect the style of promotions that KDPS utilizes. Explorers take a written test covering the policies and procedures of the post. They are then required to pass an oral interview chaired by the Post Explorer Advisors. Advisors take several factors into consideration for promotion including the Explorer's personal actions, school achievements, and participation in Post activities throughout the year. The following promotions were achieved in the 2011 calendar year. 

• Capt. Cheyanne Kalman
• Lt. Dillon Moe
• Sgt. Brendan McCurdie
• Sgt. Olivia Caton
• Sgt. Devin Palmer 

MLEYTA ACADEMY:

• Every summer our Explorer Post attends a one-week military style boot camp called the Michigan law Enforcement Youth Training Academy (MLEYTA). This Academy has over 200 participants from Explorer posts throughout the entire State of Michigan. This academy prepares the Explorers for the State Competition that is held every spring, in which Explorers teams compete against other teams throughout the State. Explorers receive classroom instruction taught by police officers from various departments throughout the State of Michigan, as well as physical training (PT) instructed military style Drill Instructors. At the completion of the Academy, Explorers are awarded with a certificate and uniform pin, to show their dedication and completion of the program. 
• In 2010, ten members of our post participated in the Academy (not in photo is Explorer Dominic Johnson).

• Four of our KDPS Explorers, (Cheyanne Kalman, Dominic Johnson, Dillon Moe, and Alexander Klein), were presented with the "Honor Platoon" award. This prestigious award is the highest award presented at the MLEYAC Academy. The Award is based on cohesiveness of the unit and demands the highest levels of discipline and leadership qualities. This award reflects the individual's ability to work within a team toward a common goal. We are extremely proud of their accomplishment. A few of our Explorers also received individual honors.
• Dominic Johnson shot at a "Pistol Expert" level and was presented an award.
• Devin Palmer won the "Top Fitness Award" among the Male Cadets.
• Cheyanne Kalman won the "Top Academic Award" of the entire Academy.

• Channel 3 News did a feature story on the Academy and requested a live interview with an Explorer. The Academy staff chose our "own" Devin Palmer from KDPS, as the spokesperson. Palmer did an amazing job representing the entire Academy and KDPS.
• Sgt Humphries, PSO Bohannon, and PSO Juday participated as pistol/rifle instructors for the entire week. They personally instructed over 200 youths in the safe handling, firing, cleaning, and qualifying of firearms.
•  PSO Crouse instructed these same youths in the proper procedures on both high and low risk traffic stops.
• PSO VanBrocklin instructed youths in the proper procedures and state laws encompassing Domestic Violence situations.

 STATE COMPETITION

• MLEYTA State Competition was held at the Alpena Combat Readiness Air Force Training Base in Alpena, MI. Explorer posts from around the state travel to this location each year to compete against one another in Accident Investigations, Domestic Assaults, Felony Traffic Stops, and Building Searches,
• Explorer Post #265 was represented by two teams that competed aggressively against 35 other Explorer post teams from various departments throughout the United States. Each team ranked in the top 10 in the "All-Around competition."
• Team #1 was awarded a plaque in Domestic Assaults with a score of 96 out of 100.
• Team #2 was awarded a plaque in Domestic Assaults with a score of 97 out of 100 and a plaque in Felony Traffic Stops with a score of 97 out of 100.
• KDPS Advisors were also invited to judge/participate in the 2010 State Competition.
• Sgt Humphries was a judge in Crime Scene Investigations.   PSO Crouse was the lead judge in Felony Traffic Stops. PSO Bohannon was a judge in traffic stops. PSO VanBrocklin was a judge in Domestic Assaults and PSO Juday was a role player.

 ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Lt Cheyanne Kalman was also selected to participate in the spring 2010 National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security (NYLEF/NS) in Washington D.C.
• Explorers were certified in Standard First Aid, Adult CPR and Automated External Defibrillators (AED), and Infant/child CPR by PSO Phelps. The Explorers were provided one year certificates from the American Red Cross, recognizing the completion of the necessary curriculum and training.

• Two very successful Academy participants joined our Explorer program after attending the 2nd annual KDPS Youth Leadership Academy held at Ft Custer in Battle Creek MI.
• Jordyn Pillars and Lamar Williams participated in and completed the week long academy. Sergeant Dillon Moe and Lieutenant Cheyenne Kalman, attended the academy and recruited them to our Post, after completing the necessary requirements.                                                    

New Explorers Lamar Williams & Jordyn Pillars volunteering at the Kalamazoo Area Food Drive.

RECRUITING:

• The Explorer Posts goal is to recruit area youth and give them a foundation in public service to become future members of Kalamazoo Public Safety. Advisors and Explorers actively recruit at each event we attend. We visited several area schools and Public Safety youth academies.
•  The Post continues to recruit new members through KDPS's Education for Employment program. This high school academic program taught by Officer Rafael Diaz has provided twelve of the current Explorers.

SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS:

•  Explorers were invited to participate in a question style research project hosted by the Colleagues International. This organization welcomes foreign nationals into our country to research and study the methods and values of American law enforcement. Sergeant Humphries hosted the delegation at our Park street station, inviting Lieutenant. Cheyanne Kalman and Sergeant. Dillon Moe to represent our organization in a question and answer session. The delegation asked our Explorers several questions pertaining to their leadership skills, being a role model/mentor for young adults in their community, and their career goals and objectives. The delegation continues to be impressed with our post and stated they look forward to visiting us again next year.

•  Explorers participated as security when President Obama came to Kalamazoo as the commencement speaker at the Kalamazoo central high school graduation. We received numerous positive comments about the appearance, and professionalism that our post members displayed at this memorable event, and we are very proud of the way "our" members conducted themselves and represented the City of Kalamazoo.