Addison's 'First Responders Academy' Offers Instructional 8 Week Class
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A dozen residents of west suburban Addison are getting a taste of what it's like to be a police officer and a firefighter.
Several communities offer citizen police academies, but the Addison Fire Protection District and the Addison Police Department partnered to present the First Responders Academy, which gives a dozen citizens an idea of what police and firefighters go through on the job.
Fire Protection District Lt. Chris Mansfield says people walk away with a better appreciation of what police officers and firefighters do, including the way officers approach a suspect during a traffic stop to the way firefighters prepare for a fire.
"They spend a lot of time learning about all the effort that is put into the actual employees themselves regarding their education, the training levels, shift life, and then a variety of the other operations that occur," Lt. Mansfield said.
The eight week class began April 5th. The 12 adult students will "graduate" next week.
