Twelve participants in the third annual Kalispell Junior Police Academy learned what it takes to make split-second decisions under stress, weave through traffic cones in a mock vehicle pursuit, analyze a fictional crime scene and practice use-of-force and defense tactics while keeping ethics, integrity and values in mind.

The weeklong academy covered a lot of ground on the duties and responsibilities of law enforcement, which included practicing ground defensive, arrest and control tactics used by Kalispell Police Department officers along with going through a digital use-of-force training simulator at Northwest Shooter and a presentation by the Special Response Team.

Students also learned that every day won’t involve high-speed chases and shootouts like on TV — there is also paperwork, testifying in court and routine patrols.

Officer Jason Parce, a former school resource officer at Glacier High School, helped develop the academy for a couple of reasons.

“Obviously we want to attract young people interested in a law enforcement career, but we’re also informing our young adults and citizenry of what we do — give them a better understanding and hopefully improve community relations, especially in today’s world were there’s a lot of tension,” Parce said.

On Thursday, firefighters and paramedics at Kalispell Fire Department Station 62 taught academy students first aid such as CPR, applying a tourniquet or responding to a gunshot or stab wound.

Often, law enforcement arrives at a scene first, Parce said. “We need to know life-saving measures to ready the scene when paramedics arrive,” he said.

Law officers in many cases also need to assess a subject’s mental state.

Parce asked instructor Kalispell firefighter Doug Schwartz to explain, for example, when a person is being combative and acting confused how to differentiate among intoxication, a head injury or even a stroke.

“A lot of those people act similarly,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz said there are a number of things that can alter a person’s mental state.

“You have to rule out things — intoxicants. How about diabetes? Diabetes causes low blood glucose. What about a stroke? Also trauma — if someone takes a hit to the head and feels weird. Prescriptions. Someone may be having an adverse reaction to new medicine, or too much medicine. The theme is if you can’t get an interview or are getting conflicting stories, you want to rule things out,” Schwartz said, to help them in the best way.

Out in the fire department’s garage, four participants learned to apply a tourniquet from firefighter and paramedic Jessica Kinzer.

“There, I saved your leg,” first-time academy student Craig Hill said with a pat after buckling a tourniquet in place on a classmate’s leg.

Hill, 17, is a Flathead High School student interested in pursing a law enforcement career after he graduates next year and serves in the Marines.

“My friends did this last year and it spurred my interest,” Hill said. “I always knew police officers had a high level of responsibility, but it opened my eyes to what they do.”

Next, the students practiced immobilizing a patient’s head with a neck brace and getting the patient onto a back board. It took all four students to lift, adjust and secure their fellow student to the back board.

“Usually this is something paramedics will do, but sometimes we’re short-staffed and as you can see, it takes a lot of people. Sometimes law enforcement helps us out,” Kinzer said.

In another room, Hannah Iverson, 16, finished a round of chest compressions on a CPR mannequin. This is her second time taking the academy.

“The more times you take this, you learn a lot more,” Iverson said.

She learned about the academy through Parce, who is a family friend. The academy changed her perception of what police do on a daily basis.

“There’s a lot. You think that they’re just driving around pulling people over and giving tickets, but they’re not,” Iverson said. “You understand more of what they’re going through on a daily basis of how you have to react and stay calm and can’t sleep.”

Police work often involves traumatic incidents and dealing with shootings, incidents involving multiple casualties or the death of a child can impact them not just physically but mentally. This is why police commissioner Sam Herbert, a retired police psychologist, talked to participants about post traumatic stress syndrome and stress management, Parce said.

“They can see firsthand and better understand what law enforcement is doing, what is the goal, the challenges we face,” Parce said.

The academy is open to teens age 15-19. For more information about the Junior Police Academy or to make donations, call Parce at 758-7780.

Hilary Matheson is a reporter for The Daily Inter Lake. She may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.