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    DEPUTY WATERWAYS CONSERVATION OFFICERS GRADUATE

    June 13, 2022
    Deputy Waterways Conservation Officers Graduate

    ​HARRISBURG, Pa. (June 13) – The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) is pleased to announce that 12 Deputy Waterways Conservation Officers (DWCO) graduated on Sunday, June 12, during a ceremony held at the PFBC’s H.R. Stackhouse School of Fishery Conservation and Watercraft Safety in Bellefonte, Centre County. 

    2022 Deputy WCO Class Group Pic.jpg

    DWCOs are volunteers who assist WCOs in protecting Pennsylvania’s aquatic resources and their users.

     

    The new DWCOs are listed below, with their assigned regions.

    • Jordan Adams, assigned to Tioga County
    • Kyle Fiedler, assigned to Mercer County
    • Carl Freeman, assigned to Franklin/E. Fulton counties
    • Michael Galler, assigned to S. Carbon/SW Monroe counties
    • Tracy Haraschak, assigned to Tioga County
    • Richard Krebs, Jr., assigned to W. Schuylkill County

    • Brian Orris, assigned to McKean County

    • Joshua Muir, assigned to Clearfield County

    • Thomas Ramsey, assigned to N. Luzerne County/Columbia counties
    • Richard Robatin, assigned to Snyder/Union/W. Northumberland/Montour counties
    • John Schaffer, assigned to S. Luzerne/Columbia counties
    • Robert Yotko, assigned to S. Bucks County

     

    To become a DWCO, an application and lethal weapons training (Act 235) or equivalent must be completed.  Successful applicants must complete 16 days of formal training, which includes courses in constitutional law, fish identification, armed and unarmed self-defense training, tactical firearms, boat accident response investigation protocol, and patrol boat trailer use and maintenance.  DWCO trainees must also complete field training alongside seasoned WCOs.  Meetings for DWCOs are held throughout the year and include a variety of training topics including traffic control and defensive driving.  Officers may also participate in optional training including ice rescue and water rescue.

     

    The 2022 DWCO graduating class is currently on probationary status and must successfully complete 150 hours of field training with a WCO within one year of graduation to become a full-fledged DWCO.

     

    These graduates join approximately 60 other DWCOs across the Commonwealth.  For more information on becoming a DWCO, visit the Volunteers section of the Careers page on the PFBC website (Fishandboat.com).

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    Media Contact:
    Mike Parker
    Communications Director
    (717) 585-3076
    michparker@pa.gov

     


    Media Contacts

    Mike Parker

    Communications Director (717) 585-3076
    Fish and Boat Commission Media