The Cobb County Department of Public Safety (DPS) is opening its doors to the denizens of Cobb County, offering a peek behind the badge with its 2024 Citizens Public Safety Academy session. Kicking off on May 7, the Academy is a 16-week course purported to show civilians the ropes, extending across the police, fire, animal services, and 911 departments. According to an announcement by the DPDS, participants can garnish a trove of knowledge and insight into the organization and operations of the various entities safeguarding their community.
Those Cobb County residents or workers of the county government and schools, who are over 21 years old, are eligible to dip their toes into this comprehensive public safety training program. Applications must be submitted by April 29 and can be snatched either by email or in person at the DPS Training Center. As a part of the application process, swinging by the Cobb County Public Safety Internal Affairs Department to drop off the paperwork is necessary, and a driver's license copy should tag along.
Structured to cap quickly, a waiting list scenario is not out of the question with any overflow pushed to the 2025 program. In a statement published on the Cobb County website, an arrangement is in place for the wait-listed individuals. The academy kicks off at 6 PM sharp at the Police Training Academy, and from the second session, the time shifts to 6:30 PM at divergent county safety locations every subsequent Tuesday evening, with the last one earmarked as graduation night.
The crash course is peppered with hands-on activities including meet-and-greets with mainstays of the Public Safety Department, tours of the 911 Communications Center, and the Medical Examiner’s Office, along with DPS Police Training demonstrations leaning into weapons/firearms safety and defensive tactics. The Fire Department will not be left out as it takes center stage showcasing special operations, with primers in Hazardous Materials and Heavy Rescue Squad. A comprehensive schedule, ready to be grabbed by participants, is due on the opening night, alongside a cache of pertinent materials.
