Protect and Serve
by Debbie A. Crawford, MA, NCC
August, 05

Gone are the days of the stereotypical “cops and donut shops” and laid back fireman hanging around the station washing their truck on a lazy summer day. Today’s public servants not only face professional risks and challenges high above any seen in previous decades, but they are also just as fully committed to their personal development as they are to serving the public.

Let’s take a look at just a few who are clearly going above and beyond the call of duty to protect and serve.

In a report released by the FBI National Press Office in 2002, data showed 56,666 assaults committed against law enforcement officers while they were performing their duties. Personal weapons, such as hands, fists and feet, accounted for more than 80 percent of those attacks. In addition, a separate FBI statistic on police fatalities showed that 23 percent were killed by their own weapon.
It’s no secret that the promise “to protect and serve” comes with a high degree of risk coupled with a responsibility to effectively protect oneself, one’s weapon, and minimize harm or danger to others, even if that “other” is an assailant.

Sucuri “Luis” Togno, owner and lead trainer at Alliance Jiu Jitsu of Charlotte (www.sucuribjj.com), was one of the first to teach Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) to law enforcement personnel in North Carolina. He has taught his defensive tactics and weapons retention techniques to members of the FBI, Secret Service, Navy Seals, Army Rangers, Special Forces, CIA, and many other federal, state and local law enforcement professionals.

Among his current students are many Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers, firemen, and medics. He feels BJJ provides not only a simple, safe and effective method of handling confrontation or attack – one that utilizes leverage rather than strength or force – but BJJ also teaches officers to be calm in the most adverse situations.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Dept. (CMPD) Officer Jonathan Plyler, a defensive tactics instructor for the Police Academy, has heavily cross-trained in various grappling and ground-fighting arts. He believes the more training an officer acquires in martial arts, the less force they require to subdue a combative subject and the more safe both individuals ultimately are.

“Training in BJJ not only gives one the confidence to deal with these situations,” says Plyler. “But also the techniques to back it up.”

Cpl. Garrett Anthony, an 8-year veteran of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Department, also trains in BJJ. He is thankful for the arsenal of techniques he has learned for every type of situation. Whether an assailant grabs him from behind or jumps toward him, he has techniques designed to protect his own safety, effectively subdue his assailant, and reduce the chances of injury or fatality for everyone involved.
“Officers are constantly faced with the possibility of an out of control individual who could be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, emotionally agitated or challenged by language barriers,” explains Togna. And while he currently provides mandatory training to many branches of law enforcement, he remains committed to expanding the scope and availability of extended training in order to keep our officers safe.

Three of CMPD’s Finest
It’s hard to imagine a successful Wall Street financial guy hanging up his suit and tie for the opportunity to serve and protect in Charlotte, North Carolina; but that’s exactly what Joe Scalise did in 1994. He is currently a full time bike patrol officer with the Hickory Grove division, yet his involvement in his career extends far beyond his normal job duties.

Joe is a member of the SWAT team as well as an instructor with the Law Enforcement Bicycle Association (LEBA). In his duties with LEBA, Joe finds himself traveling all across the country conducting trainings for bike patrol officers and for other instructors at the instructor school.

And while some might view the bike patrol as an “easier” job than others, Joe explained that it has its share of risk and danger, with officers often finding themselves riding into crimes as they are happening and engaging in pursuits through alley ways and wooded areas.

Joe has been struggling with a series of annoying injuries this year, not from training, but from work. He has cracked a bone in his hand, lost a battle with a clothes line pole chasing a suspect resulting in some cracked ribs, messed up his IT band in another chase, and sat down for our interview with his fingers taped up from another skirmish with a chain linked fence.

Even with the “hazards” involved, he loves his job. Joe described the satisfaction of being part of a particular community, knowing he’s making a difference, and, with a boy-like grin, admitted to what most others are hesitant to say, “I like chasing bad guys.”

Like all the people you’ll meet in this article, Joe is not only a dedicated public servant, but also a very-fit athlete and committed family man. He has blended his career and athleticism by participating in the World Police and Fire Games, challenging others from around the country in triathlon, road racing, criterium, and open water swimming.

He is also an accomplished triathlete with a 2001 Ironman California finish (a 10:39 overall time!), a handful of semi-expert short track racing wins, participation in the eXterra East Coast Championships, and an overall 4th place age group finish in the Set-Up, Inc North Carolina triathlon series end of season standings in 2004.

Oh… and there’s more. Joe races Cat 3 cycling with the Just Fresh/Cliff Bar racing team and is helping them develop a division for triathletes transitioning to bike racing. He is a USAT certified Level 1 triathlon coach working with Per4mance Training (www.per4mancetraining.com) and has been mentoring a handful of junior athletes in the area. He is also a member of the Bike Advisory Committee and is eager to get involved with bringing more eXterra races to our region.

His biggest accomplishment? His family. And he actually attributes his wife’s patience and understanding, as well as the help of his two training partners, 3 1/2 -year old Anna Beth and 2-year old Jack - aided by their baby jogger and bike trailer - at making his past 2 years of athletic competition so successful.
“It’s amazing how much strength you can develop pulling or pushing two little kids around on all your training rides and runs,” he jokes.

Another SWAT team member, with a different athletic background, echoed the value of training with a team, just a slightly different kind of team. Matt Mescan, CMPD officer for 7 years and member of the Street Crimes Unit dealing with violent crime, drug related crimes and prostitution, comes from a long line of law enforcement.

“The whole police thing is in my blood, I guess,” he says. “My dad was a cop and a SWAT officer, and my brother is a cop and a SWAT officer in Pittsburgh.”

Matt has taken a life long passion for wrestling and “Olympic Style” judo and blended it with his current fitness routine and his professional achievement. Matt serves as a state Defensive Tactics instructor, teaching a 16-hour in-service program for recruits, police officers, state and local law enforcement officials. He keeps himself in shape and his skills sharp by training in Judo at least three times a week. And he says it’s important to find a balance with some quality “escape” time through weight training and cardio work.

“The job doesn’t always make it easy, but I always told myself I would stay in shape,” he says. “It’s not always fun or convenient, but I guess if it was, everyone would do it.”

Now, this article isn’t just about the guys. Roslyn Maglione, 14-year veteran of the CMPD and Division Commander overseeing more than 110 officers in the North Division, also works hard to find time and balance between a challenging and rewarding career, a healthy lifestyle, competitive bodybuilding, and being a role model for her two kids.

“I try to balance all my duties with my family life and fitness goals,” she says. “And I love being a cop. I love seeing how we help people and do things that most other people would be unwilling to do.”

And she’s done a lot. In her 14 years, she has served as a Patrol Officer, Community Coordinator, Domestic Violence Detective, Patrol Sergeant, Internal Affairs Sergeant, and now a Division Captain. Her fitness history shows the same kind of diversity and increasing challenges as her career.

“I think being physically fit keeps me sharp, gives me an edge when dealing with all sorts of people,” she says. “And it helps to reduce my stress.”

Roslyn has been involved in sports since 6th grade, played collegiate volleyball at UNCC, ran a marathon, and even played in a men’s hockey league. Most recently, however, she won two overall bodybuilding titles and is nationally qualified in both bodybuilding and figure competitions. She strives to be a role model for her children, but also for other women.

“Of course, I think it’s important for all people to be fit for their health and well-being,” she says. “But I think that women who pay more attention to this area of their life are taken more seriously.”
She’s clearly doing something right – professionally, personally, and athletically. And raising the bar for everyone she meets.

Taking Flight
While most of us are fast asleep, flight nurse Justin Hand is part of a sophisticated team transporting critically injured and seriously ill patients by helicopter and airplane to and from CMC. A normal night’s work can involve as many as six to eight trips out in the helicopter responding to the most serious of injuries and traumas or even one long round trip flight to transport a patient from Bermuda or even a cruise ship back to a mainland trauma center.

Even with long nights and inconsistent schedules, Justin still manages to get on his bike and participate in all his favorite training rides with his Outdoor Lights cycling teammates (www.outdoorlightsracing.com). Growing up in Austin, Texas during the same years Lance Armstrong was emerging on the triathlon and cycling scene, Justin competed in track, cross country, and triathlon before finally deciding, like Lance, it was all about the bike.

With nearly 15 years of racing bikes under his belt, Justin has traveled all across the US as well as Canada and Mexico racing. He is now part of the Outdoor Lights racing team, a diverse and international group of cyclists sponsored by a fellow cyclist who owns a high-end outdoor lighting company. Look for them at the Bank of America Criterium this month.

And the next time you’re lying in bed and hear the medic helicopter fly over, send a thumbs-up to Justin for his hard work and dedication to saving lives… and his continued passion for the sport of cycling.

Everyday Heroes
I was telling some of my training buddies about this article and, almost in unison, two of the guys cried, “Why are women so fascinated with firemen?” I tried to answer with the standard “saving lives… bravery… the uniforms” line, but decided instead to let these guys answer that question for me.

David Brophy is a 5-year veteran of the Charlotte Fire Department with several family members on the job in New York City. He is also a member of “Team Charlotte”, a group of Charlotte firemen who train and compete in the Firefighter Challenge series, a nationwide competition, part of the “X” games broadcast frequently on ESPN2 (www.firefighter-challenge.com).

A lifelong participant in team sports, David graduated college and shifted his focus to individual sports that could provide him with a physical and mental challenge different than team sports offered him. He became active in triathlons, off-road triathlons and adventure racing, mountain climbing, mountain biking and backpacking. He views competition as a way to measure his training effort and mentally challenge himself. And he feels it’s a necessary part of his life.

“The number one killer of firemen is heart attacks,” says Brophy. “Due to the stressful environment we work under, it’s extremely important to eat right and have a consistent workout routine.”

And it’s his focus on overall health and wellness that led David to his second career. About a year ago, David became certified in Neuromuscular Massage Therapy (NMT), allowing him to work with people that have general massage needs as well as specific muscular tension problems such as sciatica, headaches, tendonitis and lower back pain (for more info. email charlottebodyworker@yahoo.com).
When he’s not fighting fires, saving lives, working out muscle kinks, training for a fireman challenge, or growing his business, David’s busy setting his sites on his next goal: to climb some of the highest peaks inside and outside the US. Go, David.

Alongside David is another dedicated public servant gone goal-crazy. Jason Foster, also a member of Team Charlotte, helped his team slide into the top 10 percent nationwide in the National Championship in Las Vegas last year and is gearing up for this year’s national competition in Florida on November 1st.
To give you a little perspective on this Firefighter Challenge, participants compete in individual and team events wearing their “turn-out gear” (helmet, coat, pants, gloves and boots) and their Scott high pressure breathing apparatus (Air-Pak and face piece). Then comes a grueling series of events including: high rise pack carry, a 42-pound hose hoist, forcible entry event, a hose advance through a slalom course, and a victim rescue, dragging 175-pound Rescue Randy more than 100-feet.

Like David, Jason is no stranger to athletics or competition. He played baseball growing up and through college and currently trains at least three times a week with weights, cardio and stairmaster routines. And he trains at least one night a week for up to six hours on competition specific drills with Team Charlotte at the Fire Academy.

Be sure to check out ESPN2 in November and watch Team Charlotte break into the top ten teams nationwide. Who knows? They might even take the championship!

Well, these folks are not only incredibly capable, dedicated and professional public servants, striving to perform their duties well above anyone’s expectations, but each and every one of them is exceptionally humble, nice as can be, and thankful for the opportunity to do what they do.

So next time you pass a fire station, hear that helicopter in the night or see a patrol car cruise through your neighborhood, tip your hat or send a little thanks their way.

It’s nice to know we’re all in such good hands.