PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles Deputy Chief of Police Jason Viada has graduated from the FBI National Academy, becoming one of the few law enforcement officers in Clallam County to earn that distinction.
The Forks native was one of 224 officers who graduated Sept. 15 from the 10-week program at the Marine Corps base at Quantico, Va.
“It definitely will improve my ability to do the job I was promoted to do,” said Viada, 45, who became deputy chief last December.
The National Academy program offers advanced communications, leadership and fitness training for selected officers who have proven records within their agencies, Port Angeles Chief of Police Brian Smith said.
“Not everyone wants to do this,” said Smith, who graduated from the academy as a National Park Service officer in 2003.
“It’s a rigorous environment.”
Viada and his fellow graduates earned a yellow brick that symbolizes the completion of the “Yellow Brick Road,” a 6-mile obstacle course.
Viada said the humidity at the academy on the Potomac River was “difficult to describe.”
Once he was acclimated, Viada came to relish the physical training, which focused on sprints, pushing and pulling maneuvers, and other law enforcement skills.
“I really enjoyed the physical training and learning more about the physical training and how to do that without getting hurt,” said Viada, who ran extra 200-meter sprints on his own time.
“Part of the physical training is to help the National Academy students be the best that they can be for the rest of their career.”
Most of academy students are near the top of their respective law enforcement agency, Viada said. The average age is about 50 and the average experience in law enforcement is 21 years.
Viada’s promotion to deputy chief came with a condition that he complete the National Academy program, to which he first applied in late 2011.
Viada graduated from Forks High School in 1990 and joined the Port Angeles Police Department in 1994.
“It’s a great personal and professional experience,” Smith said of the academy.
“In some ways, it changes your career and life.”
Other Clallam County officers who have graduated from the FBI National Academy include Clallam County Sheriff’s Office Chief Criminal Deputy Brian King, Clallam County Sheriff’s Sgt. Lyman Moores, Sequim Police Chief Sheri Crain and Elwha Police Chief Jeff Gilbert.
In the academic portion of the summer session, Viada enrolled in graduate-level classes that emphasized leadership.
Students can earn undergraduate and graduate credits at the academy through the University of Virginia.
“What my focus became was communication, communication with people that work for me, people I work for, the community, the media, my peers,” said Viada.
“Communication became the central theme in most of my academic classes.”
The FBI puts on four National Academy sessions per year, each of which include four officers from Washington.
The 269th class had officers from Lacey, Yakima and Pasco.
It had officers from 23 counties and 48 states — all but North Dakota and Wyoming — five military organizations and six federal civilian organizations.
It also was the first academy class to host a Palestinian student, Viada said.
Sixteen of the graduates in the 269th class were women.
There have been 50,365 graduates since the FBI National Academy began in 1935.
The list of alumni includes retired Port Angeles Police Assistant Chief Roy Morgan and retired Port Angeles Police Chief Tom Riepe.
“One of the big takeaways for me was if I take better care of my people, they will take care of the mission,” Viada said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
