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DISTRICT 3 HOMELAND SECURITY TEAM |
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Written by Tim Gobble, Sheriff
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Monday, 24 March 2008 |
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I have always encouraged cooperative efforts between various law enforcement agencies in our area. We are all on the same team, so to speak, and it takes everyone working together to keep our community and neighboring communities safe. That’s why I am pleased that the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office will be joining forces with the Cleveland Police Department in the Homeland Security District 3 Explosive Ordinance Device Team.
Homeland Security’s District 3 is a 10-county region that will be served by two “bomb squads.” One team will consist of members from the Chattanooga Police Department and the second team will be made of Cleveland police officers and BCSO deputies. The BCSO and the CPD have a rich history of cooperative efforts and we are looking forward to this latest endeavor.
The two BCSO deputies selected to join this team are Kevin Whitaker and Daniel Marlow. Both these men gained valuable experience with explosive material and ordinance, as well as improvised explosive devices (IEDs), while serving in the U.S. military, domestically and abroad.
Deputy Whitaker is a former Marine who served in Kosovo. He has received extensive training through the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Army and the Dutch Army in such areas as identification and deactivation of explosive devices in urban environments, and is familiar with the handling of a wide variety of explosive devices. He has been a tremendous asset to the BCSO and will certainly add greatly to the District 3 team.
Deputy Marlowe is also a military veteran who served with the U.S. Army in Mosul Iraq. While there, he was assigned to a base defense team as a first responder to unexploded and exploded ordinance. He has proven, hands-on training and experience as a first responder to IEDs and unexploded ordinance fired at their base under extremely hostile conditions.
I have no doubt both of these deputies will serve in an exemplary manner and both will prove invaluable members of the District 3 team.
There were a number of BCSO deputies who applied for the Homeland Security’s District 3 Explosive Ordinance Device Team, and I appreciate their willingness to serve. However, at this time there was room for only two. And thanks again to the Cleveland Police Department. Both the city officers and county deputies are some of the finest public service professionals in the state. We are fortunate to have them and we are fortunate for their cooperative efforts on behalf of all Bradley County citizens.
I would also like to briefly highlight the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association this week. This organization is made up of 95 sheriffs across the state who promote professionalism in law enforcement and public safety legislation on the state level. They also provide training that is required for our annual post certification.
But private citizens can also become involved in the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association by joining as associate members. A number of Bradley County residents have already joined and there is always room for more. Associate members receive a Tennessee Sheriff’s Association license plate and window decals for their car, and it is a great way to show your support for high-quality law enforcement in your community. I want to encourage everyone who is currently an associate member to renew that membership and anyone who is not currently a member to join. Information is available at the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association website ~ www.tnsheriff.com ~ or by calling us at the BCSO’s main number, (423) 728-7300.
I appreciate the support of this community and I always enjoy hearing from you. I have tried to be accessible and I work hard to respond to the letters, emails and phone calls that I receive. It is not always easy considering the volume of correspondence that comes in, but I do my best. I am fortunate to have some assistance in these matters, and I am grateful for their help. In fact, I appreciate all the hard work of the administrators and support staff of the BCSO. The Sheriff’s Office is a big operation and they all help to keep it running smoothly.
If you would like to contact me with your thoughts and suggestions, you can email at: comments@bradleysheriff.com, or call me at (423) 728-7300. And to keep up with our podcasts and other information relevant to the BCSO, visit our website often. I think you will find it to be a valuable resource. |
