Jean Clark says photo albums help keep the memories of her late husband alive.

"When Maddy was a baby, I found a police uniform," said Clark.

She often shares the pictures with her two daughters, now teenagers.

"And now that's the picture that they always use for him."

Rochester Police Officer Tom Clark was a 16-year veteran of the force.

From a street cop to working undercover, Officer Clark was ready for a change.

"He wanted to try out for the K-9 team, and I was like, let's go, try."

On a January day in 2006, Officer Clark completed the physical fitness test for that position. His wife said he came home and complained he wasn't feeling well. 

"He got out of the shower and he went and laid down and he never got back up," 

Clark knew something was wrong when she was unable to wake him.

"It was shocking, shocking, I can't even describe the feeling."

Efforts to revive Officer Clark were unsuccessful. He suffered a heart attack and was pronounced dead at a hospital. He was just 41 years old. 

Federal legislation states if an officer dies within 24 hours of participating in a training exercise it's considered a line of duty death.

"It took two years but we finally got the recognition that he deserved," Clark Said.

A plaque honoring the late policeman is located behind the Public Safety Training Academy on Scottsville Road, where Officer Clark had been training to become a K-9 officer.

"I would say it's a physically demanding assessment," said Sergeant Michael Horn.

Horn heads up the K-9 unit of the Rochester Police Department. He says although the obstacle course has been updated, safety is still the number one priority.

"They have to go to their doctor and receive approval that they are in fact physically capable of completing the assessment without any risk of injury to themselves," Horn said.

For Tom Clark, it was an injury that led to his sudden death.

"He loved his family, his friends," Clark said. "He loved his job. I think they all love their jobs. He loved his job, he loved going in." 

Rochester Police Officer Tom Clark, end of watch - January 17, 2006.