submitted by Andy Zlotnick, Scoutmaster, Troop 222
Troop 222 spent December planning a full day visit to the Capitol in Albany, NYS Police Aviation Unit and the Troop G Headquarters in Latham. The Scouts of Troop 222 along with the Cub Scouts of Pack 911 spent the morning of December 29 touring the NYS Capital Building. The tour was taken by over 35 Scouts and their families and took about one hour. The Scouts learned about how much it cost to build the Capitol in 1885 dollars and that the original estimate was $4.5 million but that after over 30 years of construction and four architects the cost was over $35 million dollars. The Scouts were treated to a tour of the artworks and sculptures that are all around the Capitol Building. They saw the War Room with Teddy Roosevelt’s painting and a mural of all the NY battles on the ceiling. The boys and their families went to the third floor to see the newly renovated skylight. They rode up in two very cramped old time elevators. When they came back down they stopped at the million dollar staircase, and one of the Cub Scouts asked how much did this (the staircase) really cost, and he was told about $1.5 million. The Scouts finished up their tour in the Flag Room where they explored the unique and large collection of battle flags that NY State has stored there.
Troop 222 continued on to visit the NYS Police Aviation Unit at the Albany County International Airport in Latham. While at the Aviation Unit the boys started to work on Aviation Merit badges with Mr. J. Bermis, who accompanied the troop on the tour of the facilities. The boys got to see all types of aircraft that the State Police use to complete their missions. There were helicopters and fixed wing aircraft of all kinds. The boys saw a UH-1 Huey, a Cessna aircraft, a helicopter with pontoons that is used to help stock fish in remote lakes. They got to see the aircraft that the Governor flies in to go to special events around the State. The boys learned about dispatching aircraft, planning missions, weather and other conditions that could affect the aircraft. At the end of the Aviation tour the boys were lucky enough to meet a member of the SORT unit (Special Operations Response Team), and they got to find out how they interact with the Aviation unit. The SORT unit is the SWAT style unit that is operated out of the Aviation unit. The boys got to see the Bearcat truck that is like a tank. It keeps the officers safe while in hostile situations and can deflect a RPG (rocket propelled grenade) round.
The Troop then went over to the NYS Police Troop G Headquarters in Latham on Rt. 7 to learn about policing and what the NYS Police do on a day to day basis. The scout troop watched two movies – one on what it takes to be a trooper in the Academy and another about operations that the NYS Police do on a regular basis. The boys got to see a booking room, a polygraph unit and what kind of support staff the NYS Police has to support its mission. The highlight of the tour was seeing the Communications Management Center. The boys learned that a team of dispatchers led by a Sergeant in the NYSP are always on duty and that they are integrated with DOT and private contractors to provide 911 dispatch to all the State Police cars on the road in their ten county service area. The boys were mesmerized by all the computers and large screen TVs and how they were used to monitor accidents and traffic conditions so that the dispatchers can have real time feedback from the roads that they are dispatching to.
