The Drug Abuse Resistance Education and School Resource Officer Tiffany Murray and her posse started the 2010 program on Thursday.

David Koon volunteer fire fighter with North Bench Fire District and 6-year-old chocolate lab Sally Sue, joined Officer Murray as she visited Boundary County School fifth-graders.

Together they had a good time explaining to the students what they can expect to learn from the DARE program. 

Officer Murray grew up in Bonners Ferry where she attended Boundary County schools and graduated from Bonners Ferry High School.  She knows and understands the specific problems and the benefits that can come from growing up in a small town.

Murray in her second year of teaching DARE, went over the meaning of the Decision-making model which is a guidline students can use when they are  approached with a problem. The decision-making model is Define, Assess, Respond and Evaluate, also an acronym for DARE. 

Murray told the students the rules of DARE class and reminded them to be respectful and always have a positive attitude in class.

Students were raising their hands, starting discussions and telling stories showing eagerness to participate.  All the while Sally Sue visited each student loving the attention and affection she received from them.

Murray explained the DARE box.  The students can place their questions, stories or jokes in the box and Murray will go over them each week when she visits.

Students received a few goodies, name cards and a booklet that they will use as a journal and handbook throughout the class.

Murray and her troop will visit fifth-graders of  Boundary County schools on Thursday for the next 10-weeks. The students will have a chance to write an essay describing what they learned in class.  Winning essays will be read by the author at the DARE graduation ceremony’s at each school, they will also be published in the Herald.

DARE facts

• The first DARE program was founded in 1983 by a Los Angeles police chief.

• DARE is not just about drug abuse but has lessons in violence prevention and Internet safety.

• DARE is being implemented in 80 percent of U.S. school districts and 43 countries.

• The first DARE officer in Boundary County was now retired sheriff, Mike Nauman.

• Mike Nauman taught DARE to officer Tiffany Murray when she attended fifth-grade in Boundary County School District. Officer Murray is teaching DARE to his grand daughter Jennica this year.