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COLUMNS5FortSmithHayRiverWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayForecastForecastNorms21Cand11CNorms23Cand10C14Low11Low22High25High13Low20High11Low11Low9Low22High25High11Low20High10Low24High27HighYellowknifeInuvikWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayNorms19Cand8CNorms21Cand12C13Low12Low15Low12Low13Low12Low19High22High14Low17High10Low24High22High26High21High26HighTuesdayJuly302013ItseemslikeyesterdaywhenIewintoFortChipforthersttime.Itwasmid-August2010.IhadjustgraduatedfromDepotinRegina.MypersonalbelongingscouldnothavebeenmorethanveboxesandtheytoldmetoheadnorthtoFortChipewyan.IarrivedontheeveningightandIreal-izedatthatpointhowbusyasmalltownairportcouldbe.InhindsightthereislittlechanceanyonewouldhavepeggedmeasthenewRCMPmember.Iwas20yearsoldandlookedmaybe17.Itisunbelievabletothinkitisnowtimetogo.OnonesideitisincrediblydifcultbutontheotherhandIwouldnevertradetheexperiencesandop-portunitieshereforanything.Itrulyfeelthisisthebestpost-ingintheprovinceandoneofthebestkeptsecretsaswell.Therearethosewhoprob-ablysuggestIdanceanelinebeingtooclosetothecom-munitybutthatisjustwhoIam.CommunitypolicingwillalwaysbethefoundationofthewayIdobusiness.IalwayssaidtomyselfifIwasfortu-nateenoughtobecomeapo-licemanIwouldalwaysmaketimeforanyoneandeveryone.ItwouldhavebeenalongandunenjoyabletimehereifIdidntgoplayinthatballtourna-mentorstopinforthatsupperIwasinvitedtooncountlessAMountiebidsafondfarewelloccasionsfromnumerouspeople.AsmuchasIcametotownasanRCMPmembertheexperiencewassomuchmorethanthat.Iwastreatedlikeacommunitymemberafamilymemberandafriend.IamtheexactsamepersoninuniformasIamout.Iwasal-waysgivenrespectwhenitwastimetodoworkandhopefullythatrespectwasreciprocated.Ihavenothingbutgoodthingstosayaboutmytimehere.TosaythatIwasgiventheopportunitytospendthreeyearsinFortChipissurpris-ingbutalsoveryhumbling.WithoutthesupportfromtheMtislocalmunicipalityandbothFirstNations-theAtha-bascaChipewyanFirstNationandtheMikisewCreeFirstNa-tion-includingChiefAdamChiefCourtoreilleandtheirre-spectivecouncilsIwouldnothavebeenabletodowhatIdo.Ialwaysfelt100percentsup-portfrombothFirstNationstheMtislocalandthemunici-palityandthatallowedmetogoouteverydayandstriveforthegoalsIsetout.ThefactthatIhadthecondenceandsup-portfrombothChiefAdamChiefCourtoreilleCouncil-lorBlairCouncillorFlettandJumboFraserwasinstrumen-talinmysuccessesduringmytenurehere.IamverygratefulforhavinghadtheopportunitytoservetheFirstNationsMtislocalandoverallcommunity.Ifeltitwouldbeappropriatetospeaktotheentirecommu-nitybeforeitwastimetogo.LastyearIhadtheopportu-nitytotransfertoanewpostwiththeRCMPhoweveratthetimeitdidnotfeelright.TothisdayIamthankfulIstayed.Theideaoftransfer-ringissomethingthathasntsatwellwithmesinceIwasinformeditwastimetogo.Youliveinacommunityforthreeyearsanditgrowsonyou.FortChipishometome.ThecommunitytookmeinfromthestartandforthatIcannotfullyexpresshowgratefulIam.ThefriendshipsImadehereaswellasinFortSmitharelifelong.ThesenseoffamilyIalwaysfeltwillnevergoun-acknowledged.Forthosewhoopenedtheirdoorstomeandtreatedmelikefamilythatmeansmoretomethanyouwilleverknow.Itwasneveraboutperfec-tion.Therewereshortcom-ingsandmissedgoalsalongtheway.HowevermyheartwasalwaysinitandIhaveatrueandhonestbeliefinwhatIdo.Justlikeanythingelsewedoinlifethemoretimesyoudoitthebetteryougetatit.Theunfortunatepartismostofyouwontbetheretoseeitthenexttimearound.WhatIvelearnedinmythreeyearshereisasmuchasthisjobiswhatIalwayswantedthattherearemoreimportantthingsinlife.IamexpectingmyrstchildinNovembersoforthosewhothinktheyaregettingridofmeneverfearasInowhaveareasontoalwayscomeback.Icannotfullydescribehowtrulyex-citedandblessedIfeelaboutthat.Familywillalwaysbeattheforefrontforme.ItsthatbalanceinlifethatcompletesthepersonIam.Fromthebottomofmyheartthankyouforthechanceyougavemetopoliceinthiscom-munity.Yourkindnessandhos-pitalitywillneverbeforgotten.IamnotsureSlaveLakeknowswhattheyareinforbutifitshalfasenjoyableasmytimehereIthinkIwillbeallright.Cst.DarrelLaboucanTetanusisadiseasecausedbyatoxinorpoisonthatblocksnormalcontrolofnervereexesinthespinalcolumn.Thediseasetravelsupnervesfromthemuscleswhichcanbeextremelypainful.Therstsymptomisusuallyspasmofthejawmuscleslockjawfollowedbypainfulspasmsofmusclesinthefaceneckchestabdomenarmsandlegs.Itmaytakeweeksormonthsforthetoxinstobreakdownandthemusclestorelease.Tenpercentoftetanuspatientsdie.Manyofusmaypictureacutfromarustypieceofmetalasthecauseoftetanusbuttherealculpritliesinthegrounditself.Manureanddirtarethemajorcauseoftetanus.Teta-nusisabacteriafoundinthesoilanimalfecesanddust.Apersoncanbecomeinfectedwithtetanuswhilegardeningfarmingplayingoutdoorsorfromananimalbitewhenthebacteriaenterthebodythroughadirtycutscrapeorpuncturetotheskin.Occurrenceoftetanusdis-easeisrareinCanadaasourchildhoodimmunizationin-cludesavaccinetopreventtetanus.Peoplewhohaveneverbeenimmunizedorhaventhadaboosterinthelast10yearsaremorelikelytogettetanus.Tetanusinfectioncanhap-pen.Itisimportanttotakethenecessaryprecautionsbeforegoingoutside.Inordertopro-tectyouandyourchildrenfromtetanusAHSrecommendsthesesimpleprecautionsEnsurethatyourtetanusim-munizationisup-to-date.Wearglovesprotectiveclothingandfootwearwhileenjoyingoutdooractivities.Cleansecutsorscratcheswithsoapandwater.Ifyourimmunizationisoutdatedorthecutisdeeporseverevisityournear-estemergencydepartmentformedicaltreatmentandforadditionalinformationcallHealthLinkAlbertaat1-866-408-5465Knowthesignsoftetanuswhichcanappearthreedaystothreeweeksafterinfection.Ifyoustartfeelingunwellexperiencemusclestiffnessordifcultyswallowingletyourhealthcareprofessionalknow.Afteryouvehadteta-nusyouarenotimmunetothedisease.Youcouldgetinfectedagainsokeepgettingroutinetetanusvaccinationsafteryougetbetter.Sincetetanusbac-teriaoccureverywhereinourenvironmentvaccina-tionistheonlyeffectivemeansofprotection.Fol-lowingthevaccineseriesininfancyandearlychild-hoodboosterdosesevery10yearsarerecommendedtoensurelong-termprotec-tionagainsttetanus.Moreinformationaboutpreventingtetanuscanbefoundonlineatwww.my-health.alberta.ca.CarolynHayesAlbertaHealthServicesTetanuscanbepreventedbyvaccineCst.DarrelLaboucanPhotocourtesyofDarrelLaboucanNorthernJournal2013JoinusonlineLikeNorthernJournalonFacebookandgettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeedFACEBOOKFEEDBACKItwaslightscameraactioninFortSmithandYellowknieasspecialitysportschannelTSNtouredtheNorthinthewakeoFortSmithstriumphasafnalistintheTSNKraCelebrationTourtwoweeksago.SportscentrepreparesforitsfirstNWTbroadcastRonGwynneBravoFortSmithErikaBellYepwerockedit