The Brookings Register
BROOKINGS — If you want to learn more about first responders in Brookings, there’s still an opportunity to do so, but the window is closing fast.
Registration closes at noon Tuesday …
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BROOKINGS — If you want to learn more about first responders in Brookings, there’s still an opportunity to do so, but the window is closing fast.
Registration closes at noon Tuesday for this year’s edition of Citizens First Responder Academy. It’s a 12-week course offered to the public at no cost that starts Aug. 27. It’s been around for years — and for each of those years, it’s provided class participants with insights that shed far more light on what first responders do than what the public typically sees, reads and listens to normally.
“The reason for its creation was just to have the public more familiar and understand what all first responders do, the aspect of being a first responder and just the training they go through,” Brookings Police Department Cpl. Jacob Vukovich told the Brookings Register in an interview.
This year’s class is capped at 15 students. As of Friday morning, there were only five openings left. If you want in, the city says to complete both the application and the ride along forms, which can be found at https://tinyurl.com/2sbred52.
Email the completed documents to Vukovich at JVukovich@cityofbrookings-sd.gov or hand deliver them to the BPD. People can also pick up an application at the BPD.
Beyond all of that, though, was it mentioned that the academy is a fun experience, too?
“The most popular topics … (include) the (Live Fire) Day, because they get to go and shoot all of the guns and just kind of become a little bit familiar with all of the weapon platforms that we have — the drones, the robots, that sort of stuff,” Vukovich said.
He noted that it involves live ammunition exercises, and, since it’s a one-on-one affair, each participant more or less has a range safety officer accompanying them to ensure proper handling and use of weapons. Targets are set up for students to use and firearms instructors are also present, along with SWAT team members.
This year’s Live Fire Day is set for Nov. 4. Here’s the full list of study areas this year:
It’s not just the Live Fire Day that’s popular, either. Vukovich noted that the Use of Force Night is also a popular topic with students.
“We’ll have a use-of-force instructor come in and go through a use-of-force PowerPoint and essentially (learn) what all officers are taught for use of force, but it’ll be abbreviated just for the academy portion,” he said.
And, hey, if you like heights, then you’re going to really rock Fire Night.
“They’ll put them in the big bucket truck that they have — which, I think … it’s a 100 feet — they’ll put them in there, harnesses and all, and bring them up to whatever height they feel comfortable with.
“It’s a pretty nice view of Brookings once you get up there,” Vukovich said.
Each of the 12 sessions runs three hours, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., so taking part in the academy is a real time commitment — but it’s one Vukovich believes is a big benefit to the student doing so.
“With it being a time commitment, I feel like participants come out of it with a better understanding of all the topics that are talked about,” he said. “I’ll still run into people from our sessions two or three years ago … in the community and at the grocery store, and we’ll sit there and talk for a little bit. It just shows that we’re not just a uniform; we’re all human as well.”
— Contact Mondell Keck at mkeck@brookingsregister.com.
