DOTHAN, Ala. – The Wiregrass Public Safety Center will offer a summer academy for youth, ages 16-18. The Wiregrass Public Safety Academy (WPSA) is a tuition-free summer camp for those with an interest in pursuing a career in public safety.
The Academy will cover two weeks, Monday through Friday, July 12th through the 23a and will culminate at the end of each week with a live training scenario that the cadets will put into action the lessons that were taught during the week.
Over the two weeks, the cadets will spend one week with members from the Dothan Fire Department and the other week with members from the Dothan Police Department. This will be a high-intensity, very active and challenging two weeks. Applicants must meet a physical standard to participate in the two week program.
The WPSA will teach various aspects of public safety that include hands-on experiences with numerous training resources located at the Wiregrass Public Safety Center. The training aspects of the academy will include: police, fire, EMS, 911 dispatch, environmental health and safety, crime scene investigation and court reporting.
Academy Highlights:
- Career path exploration, development and mentoring
- Classroom instruction on various public safety topics
- Tours of the Communications Center and Jail
- Guest speakers: Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS, Dispatch, City Leaders
Hands-on experiences:
- Police and fire training props
- Police and fire agility test
- CPR/First Aid Certifications
- Work a mock crime scenario with crime scene investigation
- Learn search and rescue techniques
- Learn aspects of fire-fighting
The Wiregrass Public Safety Academy will begin accepting applications May 5th and will be limited to 20 applicants. Preference will be given to those who are currently enrolled in the Junior Police Academy and the Fire Explorer Program. Successful applications will receive notice of acceptance into the program by June 4th.
