She's finished her training and brought a prestigious award back to Estevan as a result of her efforts and Const. Danielle Stephany is now a proud member of the Estevan Police Service (EPS).
Stephany completed her first couple of shifts on the nights of May 16 through 19 with her platoon leader Acting Sergeant Craig Bird and training officer Const. Evan Handley, without any major incidents.
The 34-year-old mother of triplet girls, said the time she spent as a dispatcher/special constable with the EPS piqued her interest in pursuing the life of a full-fledged field constable. Prior to that, she had been engaged in the same type of job as her husband Gene. She had been an intermediate care paramedic on a casual basis, swapping some work time with that of being a mother.
"Now the girls are a bit older (eight) and in schools, we felt it was a good time to do this, although there is no perfect time, of course," she said.
Stephany completed her 18 weeks of training at the Saskatchewan Police College in Regina and was one of 10 women out of the class of 40 who completed the course successfully. Along the way she earned the International Police Association Award which is voted on by the cadets in training and their instructors. The award is presented to the cadet in training who best displays leadership, helpfulness and camaraderie toward fellow officers during recruit training at the college.
The award was made by Const. Rod Stafford of the Weyburn Police Service, a member of the IPA.
Estevan police Chief Del Block was on hand to observe the graduating ceremony and was there with a dual purpose, not only as a representative of EPS who had a graduating student, but also to witness the graduation of his daughter, Kassie, who is joining the ranks of the Saskatoon City Police.
"I had often thought of being a policewoman. I felt it was a good change, a chance to meet a challenge. I knew I had to hold off until the girls got a bit older. They know what I was going to do and the family encouraged me. It was no easy decision and there were a few times during the training sessions I started to wonder why I was there and what the heck I thought I was doing," she said with a laugh.
Stephany, who is fluently bilingual, a graduate of College Mathieu in Gravelbourg, said she and her husband have learned to balance the lifestyles that see them engaged in 24-hour cycles of shift work in their chosen professions.
When she's not on the job, she said she'll enjoy her time in the garden and doing a little quilting work which she feels helps alleviate the pressures she expects she'll get on the job.
