Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – The Jonesboro Police and Fire Departments seek to dispel Hollywood myths on public safety by showing locals what happens behind the scenes.

Both agencies are currently accepting applications for their respective citizen academies. The academies offer hands-on programs designed to take residents out of the “observer” role and into the thick of operations.

The Jonesboro Police Department (JPD) will hold its Citizen Police Academy (CPA) from Feb. 26 to May 28. Classes will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Thursday and held at a variety of locations, depending on the material taught.

The Jonesboro Fire Department (JFD) will hold its Citizens’ Fire Academy (CFA) from March 6 to May 11. Classes will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Monday at the JFD training site.

While the curricula differ, both agencies are aiming to make sure residents are informed about what they do to make sure safety is prioritized.

JPD Sergeant Brian Arnold, coordinator for the CPA, said participants will be able to get answers to questions they’ve had for some time, whether those questions come from seeing something on TV or hearing about an event that’s happening nationally.

“Everybody’s interested in what the police do, and you can count on the TV at any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Arnold said. “There’s a cop show on there, and it’s a TV show production, so what you see is not real life.”

It is a sentiment echoed by Jonesboro Fire Chief Marty Hamrick, who said it helps people understand why they may bring a fire truck for a situation that isn’t just a fire or one where people may perceive that only one truck is needed, not multiple.

“That goes into all the jobs that are typically associated with a house fire. We have to bring that many trucks to get the right number of personnel on scene to deal with that situation,” Hamrick said.

The Hands-On Factor

Both programs promised to be physically and mentally engaging, moving far beyond simple presentations.

For example, the CFA puts participants into gear for scenarios like fire attacks and vehicle extrications. Hamrick said that for these, they have a dedicated safety officer to make sure everything is correct, and they’ll bring on extra instructors if needed.

As with the real thing, Hamrick said there is always a chance of a problem arising, but they will have things handled if that happens.

“We’ve got enough people there and processes in place to mitigate that. We show you how to do it first, show you how to hold, how to operate, and then we allow you to do it. [It’s a] very supervised operation,” Hamrick said.

Meanwhile, the CPA challenges residents with split-second decision-making. In topics like “Use of Force” and “Shoot-No-Shoot”, participants will experience the pressure officers face in the field.

Arnold said that, while they will be using airsoft guns and safety equipment during the training, it will give participants an idea about how quickly things can happen on the job. A scenario the CPA typically uses involves going to a house and trying to find the suspect, which may involve the participant having to shoot or not shoot somebody.

“They have to make that decision in a very quick, short time.” We have live-action roleplayers. Some of them have a gun. Some of them don’t have a gun. Some drop a gun. It just depends on what we feel like, so they will have to make that judgment call,” Arnold said.

Tech & Tactics

Beyond the adrenaline, both curricula dive into the complex logistics that keep Jonesboro running.

For the police department, Arnold said this means showcasing the high-tech side of modern law enforcement, including the Real Time Crime Center and drone operations. He said that while there are people who are aware of the technology side of the police department, they don’t realize how much the agency utilizes it on a regular basis.

As an example, Arnold recalled a moment when the Real Time Crime Center was used to help with relaying information to the Trumann Police Department (TPD).

“We had a guy rob a place and contacted them (TPD) and sent them some information. They started looking at their system. We located the guy pretty quickly, so it is helpful,” Arnold said, adding that the more departments that are involved with the technology side of operations, it helps everyone.

The fire department offers a similar deep dive into lesser-known responsibilities, such as Haz-Mat operations, something Hamrick said is a critical yet overlooked service.

One of the surprises that Hamrick believes participants will take away from that session is how many everyday products that can be considered harmful are not used properly.

“I know we’ll go over things like, ‘Hey. Here’s items that you may have under your kitchen sink, some common cleaners that, when used correctly, they clean stuff up really good, but if you mix this one and this one together, now you’re forming a noxious gas that’s going to render you incapacitated,” Hamrick said.

The Investment

These programs also serve as a demonstration of value for local taxpayers, explaining the “how” and “why” behind department resources.

One thing emphasized in JRN’s interview with Hamrick was money. Because they need a lot of money to be able to operate and serve the public, he hopes his academy will give citizens an eye-opener on how their resources are utilized.

“When we’re asking the public for, you know, ‘Hey. We need a new fire station, or I need to hire more people,”, ” because that’s typically what you hear from the emergency services side of [the] city government is because we don’t bring in a whole lot of money,” Hamrick said.

With agencies nationwide facing staffing hurdles, these academies offer a unique glimpse into the profession and serve as a potential starting point for those who want to enter either field. It’s a goal Hamrick and Arnold have with their academies.

“We’ve put over 400 people through our Citizens Police Academy, and so that’s 400 people that have hopefully taken away some knowledge, some education that we’re just human too. We’re not robots. This job’s a little harder than they think,” Arnold said.

By the time graduation rolls around, both agencies said residents will return to their neighborhoods with a new perspective.

For the JFD, Hamrick said he hopes citizens take something away from the curriculum.

“We’re not out here trying to be heroes or anything like that. We are just here to do a job and provide a service, and we want them to know we do that to the best of our ability every day,” Hamrick said.

Arnold agreed, saying there’s a lot to what an officer does on a regular basis, even when conducting traffic stops.

“You’re sitting in the car, you’ll turn the lights on because he was going to stop for you. You go call them on the radio. Get this going, and so they realize, just to make a traffic stop, now, you got them stopped, you got to deal with them,” Arnold said.

Applications are limited, so interested residents are encouraged to apply early.

If you want to apply for either academy, use the links below: