Academy

Training Academy No. 13 blog

Weeks 1-3: Routine

Jan. 5-23, 2025: The first few weeks of the training academy are all about routine, discipline and learning how to respond under pressure – a skill set COs will use during their entire career.

Weeks 1-3

Week four: More than fish and game

Jan. 26-30, 2025: In the classroom, recruits learn about sensitive general criminal topics, including crimes against persons, domestic violence and sexual assault. As licensed law enforcement officers, COs must be prepared to properly handle these complex situations. Meanwhile, back in the gym, academy staff continue to push recruits with basic physical training exercises and send recruits “deep diving” in the tank.

Week four

Week five: Working as a team

Feb. 2-6, 2025: During week five, recruits realize the training becomes more intense each week. As they learn to communicate and support each other, they often find success and their determination to succeed increases.

Week five

Week six: Facing challenges

Feb. 9-13, 2025: Recruits continue to learn how operate as a team, find value in going through hands-on scenarios and face a challenging legal exam.

Week six

Week seven: Useful skills and scenarios

Feb. 18-21, 2025: This week's author, a 23-year-old recruit from Hart writes about mental health crisis training, daily academy routines and the start of water safety week (one of the most intense trainings of the academy).

Week seven

Week eight: Ice bath

Feb. 23-27, 2025: This week's recruit writer shares their appreciation for the traditional four-minute ice bath and how, despite being a former competitive college swimmer, still learned new ways to move in the water, amongst many other new topics covered during Week 8.

Week eight

Week nine: Water safety

March 2-6, 2025: Recruits are halfway through their stay at the MSP training academy before they relocate Roscommon. This week’s writer, a U.S. Coast Guard active reservist from Texas, highlights the reality of CO job functions as the class faces one of the most intense training scenarios of the academy.

Week nine

Week 10: First aid

March 9-13, 2025: A recruit from Coldwater, Michigan writes about first-aid training and scenarios, standardized field sobriety testing, and how they enjoyed being able to apply their previous experience and training as a pre-certified law enforcement officer with the rest of their class.

Week 10

Week 11: Firearm fundamentals

March 16-20, 2025: Recruits began learning basic firearm fundamentals, slowly advancing their training throughout the week. They also expanded their skillsets for working with people of various cultural backgrounds and beliefs, and they focused on the importance of self-care to prevent health and wellness risks that come with law enforcement jobs.

Week 11

Week 12: Community support

March 23-27, 2025: Recruits completed training that prepares them to respond to mass emergencies within their communities (such as natural disasters), participated in an event for Michigan Special Olympics, learned about the Fourth Amendment and continued lessons related to standardized field sobriety.

Week 12

Week 13: Emergency vehicle operation

March 30-April 4, 2025: Despite being a longer week than usual, recruits enjoyed a relaxed atmosphere during what was voted as the best week of the academy (so far).

Week 13

Week 14: Challenging week

April 6-10, 2025: This was one of the most physically and mentally challenging weeks so far, according to this week’s author, a 24-year-old recruit from Belleville, Michigan.

Week 14

Week 15: New tactics and challenges

April 13-17, 2025: This week's recruit writer, a 24-year-old from Fenton, shares the excitement of receiving their department-issued long guns as the class advanced to new tactics and challenges. They also write about challenges faced when preparing for their marksmanship evaluation.

Week 15

Training Academy No. 12 Blog

Week one: Building bonds

Sept. 5-9: Twelve officers from law enforcement agencies throughout the state begin their 10-week fish, game and recreational safety, education and enforcement training. These individuals come to the DNR as established law enforcement officers who made the career change to become conservation officers.

Week one

Week two: Waterfowl school

Sept. 11-15: The 12 probationary conservation officers from Training Academy #12 team up with Training Academy #11 at the Bay City State Park Recreation Center to learn the tips and tricks of everything waterfowl.

Week two

Week three: Firearm training

Sept. 18-21: Even with several years of law enforcement and firearm experience, the probationary COs were still excited to learn new rifle, shotgun and sidearm techniques and skills.

Week three

Week four: Trapping school

Sept. 24-29: PCOs were excited to spend the week in the Houghton Lake area for trapping school. One of the week's highlights included learning coyote and bobcat specifics from a world-renowned wildlife biologist and trapper.

Week four

Week five: Survival tactics and first aid

Oct. 2-6: Training Academy #12 gains confidence during survival tactics and first aid training to not only help others, but to also save themselves. Week 5 included intense scenarios but was described as "the most beneficial medical training that I received."

Week five

Week six: Big and small game, wildlife necropsies and more

Oct. 9-14: Probationary COs became certified hunter safety education instructors, had the chance to hit the skid track with their patrol trucks, were humbled by the history of those who came before and learned much more on their journey to complete Training Academy #12.

Week six

Week seven: Water safety

Oct. 15-20: Two intense scenarios and the well-known ice bath were highlights of water safety week. With varying water abilities, probationary COs learned basic water skills, then expanded on each technique to build confidence in the water.

Week sevens

Week eight: Fish identification

Oct. 23-27: Things get a bit “fishy” during Week 8 of the Conservation Officer Training Academy #12. This week’s author, from Plainwell, Michigan, describes all the fish identification and enforcement activities he and the other officers experienced.