The Dalton Public Safety Commission confirmed the hiring of five new police officers at its monthly meeting Tuesday morning. The commission unanimously confirmed the appointment of Officers Eduardo Guerrero, Steven Herrera, Benjamin Porter, Adam Selby, and Richard Cook.
Officers Guerrero, Herrera, Porter, and Selby graduated from the police academy in December while Officer Cook is rejoining the department after leaving in 2016 to pursue opportunities in the private sector.
Officer Guerrero is a 2014 graduate of Dalton High School. He also earned an associate’s degree from Georgia Northwestern Technical College. While earning his degree, Officer Guerrero participated in the Dalton Police Department’s college internship program.
Officer Steven Herrera is a 2012 graduate of Gordon Central High School. In 2015, he earned an associate’s degree in applied science from Dalton State College. He has served in the Georgia National Guard since 2016.
Officer Benjamin Porter is a 2017 graduate of Reinhardt University. He graduated from Jeff Davis High School in 2013.
Officer Adam Selby is a 2012 graduate of Northwest Whitfield High School and is currently studying at Georgia Northwestern Technical College.
Officer Richard Cook graduated from Southeast Whitfield High School in 2007 and served in the United States Marine Corps from 2007 until 2013. He served as an officer with the DPD from 2013 until 2016 and is returning for his second stint with the agency.
Also at Tuesday morning’s meeting, the Dalton Fire Department presented its newest firefighter to the commissioners. Firefighter Austin Williams was recognized for completing the requirements to earn the rank of Firefighter I. All firefighter recruits serve as probationary firefighters after completing recruit school and are given one year to complete the requirements in the Firefighter I task book to earn their full status. Williams graduated from the DFD recruit school in May 2017.
Four firefighters from Ladder 3 were recognized for their heroic actions to rescue an elderly woman from her apartment during the Dec. 15, 2017, fire at the Park Canyon apartment complex. Ladder 3 was one of the units dispatched to the fire at the 700 building of the apartment complex just before 6 a.m. When firefighters arrived, they found the woman stranded on her second floor balcony. The firefighters from Ladder 3 were able to use a ground ladder to get to the balcony and get the woman to safety.
DFD Chief Todd Pangle presented a Unit Citation to the A-Shift members of Ladder 3 in recognition of their life-saving efforts. Honored on Tuesday morning were Lieutenant Steve Bennett, Engineer Dale Reed, Firefighter III Chance Nelson and Firefighter Justin Cole.
As part of the commission’s first scheduled meeting of 2018, the board elected officers for the coming year. Incumbent Chairman Bill Weaver and Secretary Terry Mathis were both re-elected.