Red Bay hosts FBI training for officers

By Staff
Melissa Cason
RED BAY – The Red Bay Police Department hosted training presented by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on official survival.
Over 50 law enforcement officials from across the region took advantage of a free officer survival training course offer through the FBI. The training was offered through a grant awarded to the Red Bay Police Department.
"We are always looking for good training that's free or close to free for our officers," Sgt. Scottie Belue said. "We are fortunate to have the FBI here with us today, and were happy to invite officers from around the state to attend."
Officers from all of Franklin County's law enforcement agencies attended the class, along with officers from Haleyville, Lawrence County and Mississippi.
Instructor Charles Miller taught the all-day course on how to stay alive while on the job.
Vicki Davis, police training official with the FBI, said her office, which is based out of Birmingham, has 24 training sessions per year for police officers, said the message of yesterday's training was to stay alive.
"The course is about officer safety, and the message is 'you can't let your guard down twenty-four seven,'" Davis said.
The course used interviews from officers who were attacked in the line of duty and lived to tell about it, and interviews with people who have killed officers.
"Nowhere is safe," Davis said. "You wouldn't think these kinds of things can happen in your neighborhood, city or county, but these happen in small towns and communities everyday. You never know what will happen."
The materials for the class are based on actual case files of officer fatalities and assaults.