Former Secret Service agent got his start at CCM

A former Secret Service agent who got his start three decades ago at the County College of Morris is now back at school, obtaining a degree that will allow him to create a wellness course for law enforcement officers.

Martin R. Ebelhardt, 50, majored in criminal justice at the County College of Morris in the mid-80s, the start of a career that would take him to the White House among other stops.

Then of Randolph, now of Minneapolis, Ebelhardt earned his associate's degree in Criminal Justice from CCM in 1987 after starting his education at Richard Stockton College in South Jersey.

After graduation, Ebelhardt was selected for a position with the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division in Washington, D.C.

He spent seven years working at the White House, in which time he met two presidents – George H. Bush and Bill Clinton - and several famous entertainers and musicians.

A member of the elite Secret Service Emergency Response Team, he helped secure the safety of the White House and surrounding areas.

During his stint he responded to a fatal plane crash on the White House lawn.

"A call came out over the radio from an officer on the south grounds indicating that an aircraft was flying over in the P56 area, which is restricted airspace over the White House," Ebelhardt said. "Moments, later a second frantic call came out from the officer at the south portico indicating that an aircraft had crashed on the south grounds."

Ebelhardt said the incident happened quickly so he didn't have much time to think about what was happening.

"I responded to the area with the rest of the Emergency Response Team, and we discovered that a small aircraft had crashed into the south side of the mansion, after apparently attempting to land on the south grounds," he said. "The aircraft was crushed like an aluminum can, and the pilot was deceased at the scene. "

Ebelhardt also encountered a fence jumper with a gun.

"A call went out over the radio indicating that we had a fence-jumper on the south grounds," Ebelhardt said. "The Emergency Response Team, responded to the call and encountered a male subject who was brandishing a handgun. An altercation ensued, which prompted a member of the team to fire on the subject."

The injuries to both the response team member and the fence-jumper were non-life-threatening.

Incidents like the plane crash and fence jumper were far from the norm, though.

"The job seems like it would be exciting, but much of the time it involves a lot of standing and waiting," Ebelhardt said. "It is really mostly about planning for and being prepared to respond to something that will probably never happen."

From there Ebelhardt moved onto Detroit, where he became a special agent in the Drug Enforcement Administration. Part of his job involved training officers, an aspect of his duties he particularly enjoyed.

"I found I had a stronger interest in teaching than in chasing bad guys," Ebelhardt said.

When the Air Marshal Service formed after Sept. 11, 2001, he joined as a training and operations supervisor in Minneapolis.

"I was compelled to join the Air Marshals after 9/11 by my growing interest in teaching," Ebelhardt said. "And to be a part of developing the new Air Marshal Service, which I thought would be a worthwhile pursuit."

Ebelhardt said he found the work very rewarding.

"I saw it as a good opportunity to get more heavily into teaching on a full-time basis," Ebelhardt said, "While still being engaged in law enforcement."

Ebelhardt remains with the Air Marshals to this day as the assistant supervisory air-marshal-in-charge.

Ebelhardt believes students considering a career in law enforcement should take care of their health and develop good coping mechanisms.

"There are some fairly serious demands that the career has in terms of emotional and mental well-being," Ebelhardt said. "Law enforcement officers dedicate their lives to protecting and serving their fellow humans, and they pay a price for that service in a number of areas. Higher than the societal average rates of divorce, alcoholism, suicide, a variety of chronic illnesses, and a shorter life expectancy are all things that come along with the badge and gun."

Ebelhardt said law enforcement officers need better practical training to help maintain health and manage stress.

Ebelhardt also has a bachelor's degree in management and is currently pursuing a master's degree in human development. Once he receives that degree, he plans to develop a wellness course for law enforcement officers.

"I want to give officers going into the field tools to manage stress and the demands the job puts on you as a human being," Ebelhardt said. "The tendency is to deal with these issues reactively on a case by case basis, rather than creating wellness based preventative strategies. I would like to see wellness for law enforcement as an elective course in undergraduate criminal justice programs, as well as part of the basic academy curriculum, and in continuing education."

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@dailyrecord.com