This post is not running-related at all. It is about the ongoing quest to get a Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS) completed so that I can chaperone a school trip with my old high school. It's a verification that is absolutely required by the school board, in addition to a regular criminal background check. Without it, I can't go.
Alright, here it goes....
First, let's go back 2 years to the last time I went on this same trip as a chaperone. I did a background check at the local police station and sent the results to the school board. I didn't hear anything back, so I assumed everything was ok (my record is completely clean, by the way). When I arrived at the school (after having driven 12 hours to get there from Bagotville), I was told that I didn't have the VSS. I had asked for it at the police station and the officer said that he had given me everything he could, but I guess that didn't include a VSS. I signed a one-time form and was given special permission to go by the principal.
Now, knowing that I absolutely must have this screening, I started the process back in December. To be valid, it must have been completed within the last 6 months, so I couldn't have started it any earlier. First, I went to the Saguenay (municipal) police and they had no idea what I was talking about. Second, I went to the SQ (provincial police) and they sent me back to the Saguenay police. Come to find out, VSS doesn't really exist in Quebec; however, for a VSS to be valid, it has to be completed in the municipality where you live. Grr...
Finally, I discovered that it could be done through the RCMP (federal police). I went to talk to them and they tried to send me back to the municipal police. After doing some research on the computer, the lady found what I was talking about and printed out the documentation for me (in English and in French - keep in mind I'm doing all this in French). She said I would need to have my fingerprints taken and sent to Ottawa. Ok, no problem.
So, I went back to the municipal police to be fingerprinted. I was told that they didn't do fingerprinting at the police station - I would need to make an appointment at the court house. Which I did. I went to the courthouse and explained my situation to the officer there. I showed him the documentation from the RCMP and I emphasized that I needed a VSS. I think I said it 6 times and he assured me, yes ma'am, VSS. We did the prints, I paid my $25, he filled out the form and put it in a sealed envelope. He said it would take about 8-10 weeks, which back in January was plenty of time. I went straight to the post office to have it mailed and I paid about $15 to have it sent registered mail (you know, because my fingerprints, full name, address, etc were in there - I wanted to make sure it ended up in the right hands).
Fast forward 8-10 weeks. It's now late March. I finally received my letter from the RCMP and as I expected, everything was clean. However, as I read further, I saw "Vulnerable Sector Screening - not requested." Um, what? I'm pretty sure I requested it. When I got home from the post office (after having a minor meltdown), I immediately called the RCMP. Of course, you can't speak to a person directly - you have to listen to a 4-minute recording before leaving a message. A 4-minute recording!!! I put it on speaker-phone and made a sandwich while I waited.
A couple days later, I received a call back from a guy at the RCMP. Was I home to take the call? Nope. So I had to call back, listen to the 4-minute message AGAIN and leave another message. Thankfully, the next time he called back, I was home. He reviewed my application and as it turns out, the officer at the courthouse didn't check of the VSS box. And since they destroy your prints after the search is done, I would have to start all over again. Remember it takes 8-10 weeks to complete? The RCMP guy told me I could have it done faster if I had my prints done electronically, about 3 business days. Unfortunately, this technology doesn't exist yet in the Sag so that would mean going to Quebec City (2 hours away) or Montreal (5 hours away).
The RCMP guy gave me the names of a couple private security companies that do digital fingerprints, so I called one in Quebec City and made an appointment. On the phone, they told me it would take about 3 weeks to process (not quite the 3 days I was told by the RCMP, but I still had enough time for that). Thankfully, we were already passing through Quebec City on our way to my 30k race, so I didn't have to make a separate trip.
The gentleman at the Commissionaires in Quebec City was nice enough. I explained my situation to him and assured me that it would work this time. I watched him fill out the form and made double-sure that he checked the VSS box before submitting the form. I asked him how long it would take and he thought it might take longer than 3 weeks though because of the VSS. Great. Anyways, I paid my $90 and continued on my way.
Last week, I received a call from the guy at the Commissionaires. Apparently, there was a problem with my request because it wasn't being submitted from a police agency plus it wasn't in the municipality where I reside. Thanks for the suggestion, Mr. RCMP guy. He told me he got in contact with someone in Saguenay and he forwarded my request to him. He gave me the name and phone number of the man, and sure enough, it's the same guy who forgot to check the box in the first place. Great. Also, I don't know if my prints will be submitted from Quebec City or Saguenay, which will make a huge difference since Saguenay can't do them electronically. This could mean waiting 8-10 more weeks while it's done by paper.
I've given a deadline of April 20th. If I don't have any results by then, I'm going to have to tell the school I can't go. We would be leaving for the conference on May 1st, but I need to give my work some advance notice whether I'll be gone or not.
Anyways, that's the saga. It's still not over yet, but hopefully it will be soon. And did I mention that this was all done in French????
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