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Ohio State Highway Patrol
Auxiliary
www.statepatrol.ohio.gov
INDEX
Auxiliary Organization Changes; Rawlins Assumes
Command
Auxiliary Lt. Col. Thomas Charles retires January
2003
Ohio
Representatives attend multi-state meeting in
Florida
Ohio
Representatives attend National Police Memorial in
DC
Retired Troopers Augment the
Auxiliary
(In the wake
of 9-11, "Retired Trooper Reserve
Auxiliary" (RTRA) is
originated)
Also "Auxiliary Works OSU Football
Game" and "Auxiliary donates to Mark Allen
Fund"
Auxiliary Lt. Col.
Tom Charles Visits the Florida Highway
Patrol Troop
Headquarters
Legislative Solution to Civil Liability
Issues
OSHP Auxiliary
Reaches 60-Year Milestone
-
-
Renewed Numbers in 1950s (The five states of Ohio, Illinois, Indiana,
Kentucky, and Michigan later joined to form a Midwest Regional
Disaster Preparedness Group)
-
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___________________________________________________________________ 
Auxiliary Organization Changed; Rawlins
Assumes Command
Reprinted
from OSHP Flying Wheel July-September, 2006
OSHP AUXILIARY
NEWS
In an effort to
streamline operations and to more closely reflect Patrol structure,
the Ohio State Highway Patrol Auxiliary recently underwent a
reorganization. The biggest change is the rank of the
Auxiliary Director, which changed from Auxiliary Lieutenant Colonel
to Auxiliary Colonel. The volunteer force will retain the
Auxiliary Lieutenant Colonel rank for use by the Deputy Director, a
new position created to relieve the Director of some administrative
and command duties. 
On July 21 Colonel Paul
McClellan appointed Brent Rawlins
(pictured right) director of the Auxiliary. Rawlins
replaces Tom Forbes, who commanded the Auxiliary from January 2003,
through June 2006. Rawlins, who is an information technology
manager with the Department of Public Safety, joined the Auxiliary
as a volunteer at Piqua. He was State Auxiliary Officer of the
year in 2003, and most recently served as the Auxiliary Commander of
the Piqua district. Community service will remain his focus,
just as it was upon joining in 2002. "I joined the Auxiliary
with the idea of community service, in a role that was interesting
and exciting," Rawlins said. "I accepted the position
(of Auxiliary Colonel) with the idea of becoming a representative
for the needs and concerns of all Auxiliary Officers."
First on his agenda is talking over goals for the Auxiliary with
leadership. Whatever direction the staff has for the
Auxiliary, Rawlins said the main reason for the Auxiliary's
existance - Patrol assistance - will remain steadfast.
"I will say that any goals
will be in line with our primary duty of providing a physically fit
force to assist whenever and wherever needed," he
said. 
Colonel McClellan also
appointed Steven Morgan (pictured left) Deputy Director of the
Auxiliary. Morgan joined the Auxiliary in 1993 as a volunteer
at Circleville, where he is a maintenance repair worker. He
has earned several Auxiliary awards including the William J. Duffy
Award of Excellence, which recognizes sustained outstanding service
and dedication by Auxiliary Officers. He most recently
served as an Auxiliary Staff Major in charge of recruitment and
training.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Congratulations, Colonel McClellan on the appointment of these fine
Auxiliary leaders.
____________________________________________________________
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Auxiliary Lt. Col.
Thomas Charles retires January,
2003 
Auxiliary
Lieutenenat Colonel Thomas Charles retired in January
2003. We at NRLO want to thank him for all of his input
to nrlo.net. The information below was submitted by
Auxiliary Lieutenant Colonel Charles. Future input will be
recieved from Charles through "The Spare Wheel" which is the
official newsletter put out by the OSHP Auxiliary.
For more about Charles, please click here.
 Ohio Representatives attend multi-state meeting in
Florida
DELEGATES TO THE FLORIDA CONVENTION: S/Lt. C. Lance
Mathess of Planning Services, Aux. Lt. Col. Tom Charles and
Aux. Maj. Gary Long attended a June meeting in Orlando, Fla., to
discuss Auxiliary operations. State Police from five states,
along with NYPD and the Bahamas Royal Police Reserve were
represented at the meeting hosted by the Florida Highway Patrol
Auxiliary. Capt. Ricky Adams of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol
and Lt. Kemp Shoun of the Missouri Highway Patrol attended to gather
information for establishing an Auxiliary in their respective
states. Arizona was represented by Reserve Sgt. Frank
Delaney. S/Lt. Mathess gave a PowerPoint presentation on the
Ohio Auxiliary program. (PHOTOGRAPH AND
INFORMATION REPRINTED FROM THE FLYING WHEEL, JULY - SEPTEMBER,
2003)
Ohio Attendees at the National Police Memorial
Ceremony held in DC
Ohio attendees at the
National Police Memorial ceremony in Washington, D.C. on May 15
included, from left: Carl Tatman (Lancaster PD, retired), Sgt.
Derek Walker, Aux. Lt. Col. Tom Charles, and Trooper Larry
Phillips. President Bush had just finished addressing a group
of several thousand Police Officers from all over the U.S. when this
photo was taken. (PHOTOGRAPH AND
INFORMATION REPRINTED FROM THE FLYING WHEEL, JULY - SEPTEMBER,
2003)
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Retired Troopers
Augment the OSHP Auxiliary
In the wake of 9-11, "Retired Trooper Reserve Auxiliary"
Organized.
By
Auxiliary Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Charles
Reprinted from FLYING WHEEL,
January-March, 2003, Issue
Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, many
retired Ohio State Highway Patrol Officers asked what they could do
to help. In planning for future terrorist attack scenarios,
Colonel Kenneth Morckel appointed a committee to implement a
"Retired Trooper Reserve Auxiliary
(RTRA)."
That committee,
which included Captain Steve Friday, Lieutenant Lance Mathess,
Auxiliary Lieutenant Colonel Tom Charles, and retirees Rob Hartsell,
Sheldon Senek, and Charlie Linek, recommended forming a "Retired Trooper Reserve Auxiliary"
(RTRA) as part of the existing OSHP
Auxiliary.
ACTIVATION
The RTRA will only be
activated in large-scale emergencies, during which its members would
function in the same manner as regular, Auxiliary Officers. As
part of the Auxiliary, RTRA Volunteers will be covered under ORC
5503.11 for civil liability and indemnification.
TRAINING
Annual training for RTRA
members will be conducted with regular Auxiliary Officers at the
Patrol Academy. That training will include the firearms
familiarization that the regular Auxiliary receives.
OSHP
Officers may choose to join the regular
Auxiliary
As an alternative to the RTRA,
retired OSHP Officers may choose to join the regular
Auxiliary. Retirees are exempt from Auxiliary recruit training
and can ride on Patrol after purchasing a uniform and receiving a
brief orientation to the Auxiliary General Orders. As regular
Auxiliary Officers, they must then volunteer at least 120 hours each
year and attend quarterly and annual in-service training.
WEB AUTHOR NOTE:
Congratulations, OSHP Auxiliary on the new RTRA Volunteers.
The RTRA is brilliant in concept, and very is very cutting edge in
both the utilization of and in the training of
Reserves.
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OSHP Auxiliary Lt. Col. Charles
visits
Florida Highway Patrol
FHP Major Tom Knight (left),
and FHP Auxiliary Chief David Rayburn (right) give OSHP Auxliliary
Lt. Col. Tom Charles a guided tour of the florida Highway Patrol
Troop C Headquarters. (Photograph
reprinted FLYING WHEEL - January - March, 2003,
issue)
In 2002, OSHP Auxiliary
Officers received computer access and
training for on-line policies. Florida
Auxiliary Officers have just begun receiving similar computer access
to Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) forms and policies. Both
states started maintaining Auxiliary hours on-line within a few
months of each other.
Chief David Rayburn, in charge of
technology services for the FHPA, recently gave Ohio's Aux. Lt. Col.
Charles a tour of Troop C headquarters at Tampa, which is
responsible for a seven-county area. The headquarters facility
includes a central dispatch area which serves a number of other
state agencies.
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Ohio State Highway Patrol Auxiliary
Works OSU Football
Game 
Reporting for the
briefing at a recent OSU home football game detail are, from left:
Auxiliary Officer Steve Brewster, Lancaster; Lieutenant Daryl
Smith, Lancaster; Auxiliary Officer Larry Ropp, Marysville;
Lieutenant Steve Morgan, Circleville; Sergeant Rose Beaver,
Lancaster; Major Tom Forbes, Circleville; Major Emmett Wilson,
Granville; Sergeant Gerald Fiegal, Sandusky; and Auxiliary Officer
William Bucher, Delaware. Officers desiring to work a game
next year should contact Auxiliary Lieutenant Morgan at (614)
853-1447 to be scheduled.
Auxiliary Donated to Mark Allen Tuition
Fund
from "Annual Auxiliary In-Service
Training Day"
Auxiliary
Officers raised a total of $450 for the Sergeant Mark Allen Tuition Fund at
their "Annual Auxiliary In-Service
Training Day," October 19, 2002. Lieutenant
Walter E. Poffenbaugh, Norwalk Post Commander, sent a letter of
appreciation which stated, "Your generosity, and that of others who
have contributed since Mark's untimely death, has
raised approximately $1,000 of the original goal of
$38,000.00. The Auxiliary has a long history of support and
assistance to members of the Division. The generosity of
the members attending this year's Annual Meeting is just
another example, which proves the tradition continues. Thank
you again for your generous donation."
In a related event in
September, Auxiliary Officers
prepared a lunch for the "Third Annual
Sergeant Mark Allen Softball Tournament," in which
five OSHP teams competed. that tournament raised another
$634.56 for the Mark Allen Fund.
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Legislative Solution to Civil Liability
Issues
Legislative H.B. 599
Becomes Law on June 1, 1998
Doubts removed on
Legal Authorization of
Ohio State Highway Patrol
Auxiliary
Written
by
Auxiliary Lieutenant Colonel Thomas D. Charles
State
Commander of the Ohio State Highway Patrol Auxiliary
While the Ohio
Highway Patrol Auxiliary has been in existence since 1942, there was
never any reference to the Auxiliary in the Ohio Revised Code.
H.B. 599 was a legislative solution to the civil liability issue and
removed a cloud of doubt about legal authorization for the existence
of the Auxiliary.
House Bill 599, which
provides statutory authority for the Auxiliary and resolves the
civil liability issue, worked its way quickly through the Ohio
General Assembly.
On January 6, 1998,
Lieutenant J. P. Allen and Auxiliary Lieutenant Colonel Thomas
Charles testified before the House of Transportation
Committee. Immediately after the testimony, the Committee
voted unanimously to support the bill and move it to the floor of
the House for Action. H.B. 599 passed the Ohio House of
Representatives on January 8, 1998, by a vote of 91 to 0. On
February 2, 1998, the Ohio Senate also passed H.B. 599
unanimously. The bill was signed by Governor George Voinovich
on March 2, 1998. It became law on June 1, 1998, (90 days
after the Governor's signature) as Section 5503.11 of the Revised
Code.
Because of the efforts of
Lieutenant J. P. Allen and Kenneth B. Marshall (Superintendent of
the Ohio State Highway Patrol) and of all Members of the Ohio
General Assembly in the unanimous support of this legislative
initiative, the Ohio State Highway Patrol Auxiliary was officially
authorized.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Text
of H.B. 599 reprinted from "The Spare Wheel" October,
1997
This
bill is not an increase in authority for the Auxiliary. It is
primarily a legislative solution to the civil liability issue (which
has been plaguing the Auxiliary with insurance problems) and a way
to remove the cloud of doubt about legal authorization for the
existence of the Auxiliary.
INTRODUCED SEPTEMBER 30, 1997, BY STATE REPRESENTATIVE SAM
BATEMAN, BATAVIA
H.B. 599
BE IT ENACTED BY
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY O THE STATE OF OHIO: SECTION 1, THAT
SECTON 5503.11 OF THE REVISED CODE BE ENACTED TO READ AS
FOLLOWS:
SEC. 5503.11
(A) THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE STATE
HIGHWAY PATROL, WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY,
MAY ESTABLISH AN AUXILIARY UNIT WITHIN THE STATE HIGHWAY PATROL, AND
PROVIDE FOR THE REGULATION OF THE AUXILIARY OFFICERS. THE
SUPERINTENCENT SHALL BE THE HEAD OF THE DISMISSALS FROM THE
AUXILIARY UNIT. THE SUPERINTENDENT SHALL PRESCRIBE RULES FOR
THE ORGANIZATION, ADMINISTRATION, AND CONTROL OF THE AUXILIARY UNIT,
AND THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, TRAINING AND CONDUCT OF THE
AUXILIARY OFFICERS. THE SUPERINTENDENT ALSO SHALL HAVE THE
AUTHORITY TO EXPEND ANY FUNDS APPROPRIATE TO THE STATE HIGHWAY
PATROL TO PAY ANT EXEPENSES THE STATE HIGHWAY PATROL INCURS IN
ADMINISTERING THE AUXILIARY UNIT. MEMBERS OF THE
AUXILIARY UNIT MAY BE REQUIRED TO PAY ANY PORTION OF THEIR EXPENSES,
AS DETERMINED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT. NO MEMBER OF THE
AUXILIARY UNIT SHALL HAVE ANY POWER TO ARREST ANY PERSON OR TO
ENFORCE ANY LAW OF THIS
STATE.
(B) EACH
MEMBER OF THE AUXILIARY UNIT, IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE MEMBER'S
OFFICIAL DUTIES AS DETERMINED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT, POSSESSES
PERSONAL IMMUNITY FROM CIVIL LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES FOR INJURY,
DEATH, OR LOSS TO PERSON OR PROPERTY AS SPECIFIED IN SECTION 9:86 OF
THE REVISED CODE, AND IS ENTITLED TO INDEMNIFICATION AND
REPRESENTATION AS AN OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE OF THIS STATE TO THE EXTENT
DESCRIBED IN AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTIONS 109.361 TO 109.368 OF
THE REVISED CODE.
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Ohio State Highway Patrol Auxiliary Reaches 60-Year
Milestone
By Auxiliary Lieutenant Colonel Tom
Charles
Reprinted from "Reflections"
("Flying Wheel") January - March,
2002) 
Highway Patrol Auxiliary Officers
of 1942 were totally different in appearance from those of
2002. Arm bands with a Civil Defense emblem and an American
Legion cap identified them; full American Legion uniform was
optional. Metal badges were later obtained after delays in
wartime rationing which called for metal substitutes. White
helmets were approved in January, 1943. Special supplemental
gasoline rations were authorized for Auxiliary Officers performing
Patrol-related duties. (Photograph on right shows a Findlay district
Auxiliary Officer discussing the day's work
agenda.)
The Ohio State Highway Patrol
Auxiliary, formed at the beginning of World War II, celebrates its
60th anniversary in 2002. Organized by Colonel Lynn Black, the
Auxiliary has a long, proud history dating back almost as long as
the Patrol itself.
In early 1942, it became apparent
that Patrol manpower would be severely depleted by the war. At
the same time, the Division was given increased responsibilities,
including coordination of movement of military convoys and civilian
traffic, investigation of subversive activity, and 24-hour patrols
around airports, bridges, defense plants, and military
installations.
Colonel Black and his assistant,
Inspector George Mingle, believed the American Legion could best
meet the need for an all-volunteer Auxiliary force.
Legionnaires were military veterans of good character and willing to
serve their country - and would not likely be called back into
national service.
With the help of Legionnaires Joe
Deutschle (State Adjutant of the American Legion), and William
Konold, an Auxiliary force was assembled in short order. The
first official enrollment meeting was held in Franklin County on
February 8, 1942. By April, 2,650 members were in
training. The 40-hour course included desk duty, patrol,
convoy movements, first aid, evacuation, enforcement of blackout
regulations, safeguarding concentrations of weapons and ammunition,
and surveillance and observation.
By March, 1945, the 297 patrolmen
from three years previous had dwindled to 137 uniformed men,
compared with 5,000 Auxiliary Officers. As a direct result of
Colonel Black's foresight in creating the Auxiliary, numerous Patrol
posts were kept open and operating - with volunteer Auxiliary
Officers handling office duties 24 hours a
day.
The Division and its
Auxiliary force were fully prepared to have more than 350 strategic
intersections under full control within one hour of a state-wide
emergency. With this aid, military convoys could cross
Ohio at an average speed of 20 mps - an unbelievably quick pace for
those days.
The original organization
of the Auxiliary, which remains basically the same today, provided
for an Auxiliary Commander, originally designated
"Major-at-Large" with a Major for each Patrol district.
Floyd R. Hartpence, the first Major-at-Large, presided over monthly
council meetings during 1942, with Colonel Black, Inspector Mingle,
and other Patrol senior staff
Officers.
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NOTICED BY
PUBLIC
The Auxiliary
was brought into public notice in a big way in the early
morning of May 31, 1942, when a huge wave from Lake Erie
crashed into North Madison, throwing boats as far as 300 feet
beyond the usual high water mark. The Geneva post called out
the Lake County Auxiliary; and within one hour, 27 of the 31
Officers in the unit were on the scene to assist with rescue and
recovery efforts.
In 1945, one of the most
destructive floods in Ohio River history occurred, and the Patrol
called out the Auxiliary. As many as 258 Auxiliary Officers
from southeastern Ohio were on duty in one day, with a 10-day total
of 7,392 hours volunteered.
RENEWED
NUMBERS
Following World War II, the number of
active Auxiliary members began to decrease. But as fears
related to the Cold War began to rise, the need for a large
compliment of Auxiliary Officers was obvious. By the early
1950s, the Auxiliary was again near its war-time peak of 5,000 men,
and was prepared for any potential state-wide
emergency. 
The Auxiliary was an
important part of the Ohio Civil Defense plan. The five states
of Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan later joined to
form a Midwest Regional Disaster Preparedness Group - patterned
after the Ohio State Highway Patrol Auxiliary.
(Photograph at left shows an
Auxiliary Officer answering the phone during an open house at
Cambridge in July, 1952.)
In 1954, Don Schoeppe, an
original member of the Ohio Highway Patrol Auxiliary and a retired
Florida resident, helped organize the Florida Highway Patrol
Auxiliary and became its first Commander. A delegation from
Ohio's Patrol and Auxiliary Officers helped train a cadre of 25
instructors for Florida's first Auxiliary class.
When the 40-hour work week
became law in 1955, the Division began hiring
civilian Dispatchers to enable sworn Officers to dedicate more
time to enforcement duties. Through the efforts of Auxiliary
Officer (and former Patrolman) Wayne Tresemer, many of the first
civilian Dispatchers hired were Auxiliary Officers who had
been dispatching as volunteers for many years.
AUXILIARY
COMMANDERS
Only seven men have
served as Auxiliary Commander since the Ohio State Highway Patrol
Auxiliary was created 60 years ago.
-
1942 -
1957 Commander Floyd R.
Hartpence of Mt. Gilead
-
1957 -
1973 Major-at-Large William S.
Konold of Columbus
-
1973 -
1988 Major-at-Large Wesley L.
Osborne of Willowick
-
1989 -
1995 Major-at-Large William J.
Duffy of Sandusky
-
1996
- 2003 Auxiliary Lieutenant
Colonel Tom D. Charles of Zanesville
-
2003 - 2006
Auxiliary Lieutenant Colonel Tom
Forbes
-
2006 - Present
Auxiliary Colonel Brent Rawlins
MAJOR J.P.ALLEN
INSTRUCTS AUXILIARY OFFICERS AT IN-SERVICE
CLASS HELD AT THE
ACADEMY, OCTOBER 27, 2001
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ABOUT LIEUTENANT COLONEL TOM D.
CHARLES 
Auxiliary Lieutenant Colonel since
January, 1996, Zanesville resident Tom D. Charles has been an
Auxiliary Officer since 1969, until his retirement in January,
2003.
Charles served at Lancaster and
Zanesville before being promoted to Major in the Cambridge
District in 1989. He received the Ulmer Meritorious Service
Award in 1991, a Governor's Certificate of Recognition in 1992, and
Patrol Certificates of Recognition in 1993 and 1994.
He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees
from the Ohio State University and is a retired Treasury Department
Revenue Officer.
The Vietnam War era US Air Force
Captain is a church elder where he teaches Bible classes, and is
active in the National Reserve Law Officers Association. Prior
to joining the Patrol Auxiliary, he was in the Auxiliary at the
Perry County Sheriff's Department, where his father was a Deputy
Sheriff.
Lieutenant Colonel Charles and his
wife, Caren, are 4-H advisors. They have one son.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OHIO PUBLIC
SAFETY
Education - Service - Protection
Bob Taft, Governor Lt. Governor Maureen
O'Connor, Director
OHIO STATE
HIGHWAY PATROL
Colonel Kenneth L.
Morckel, Superintendent
1970 West Broad Street, P.O. Box 182074,
Columbus, Ohio 43218-2074 www.state.oh.us/ohiostatepatrol
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NATIONAL RESERVE
LAW OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
PO. BOX 6505 SAN ANTONIO,
TEXAS 78209
(210) 805-8917 FAX (210) 804-2463
E-MAIL:
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