Graduates of the Department of Public Safety's Training Academy marched into the Sheet'ka Kwaán Naa Kahídi. (KCAW photo: Rachel Waldholz)
On Thursday (6-7-12), the Sheet’ka Kwaán Naa Kahídi echoed with the footsteps of fifteen newly minted graduates of the Department of Public Safety’s Training Academy, who marched in singing, “This life was made for me.” The graduates hail from police departments as far afield as Nome and Valdez, and from Alaska State Parks and the Alaska State Troopers. State Senator Bert Stedman and Public Safety Commissioner Joseph Masters were on hand to congratulate them.
Lieutenant James Helgoe, the Academy Commander, gave the audience a little taste of the fifteen-week training course.
“They have swam, climbed ropes, and walls, endured defensive tactics training, they’ve been pepper sprayed, they got shot with a taser, and were occasionally verbally motivated and have run more miles, and done more push-ups, than can be calculated,” he said.
Besides their certificates, Alaska’s newest public safety officers received their badges. We’d sing, too.
