Sheriff Austin Garrett and other HCSO personnel participated Thursday evening in the 2025 Team Mentoring, Inc’s Summer Youth Retreat for inner city youth at Booker T. Washington State Park.
This is the third year the HCSO has annually partnered with Team Mentoring, Inc. and their Executive Director Freddie Brooks, a retired Chattanooga Fire Department firefighter and graduate of the inaugural Sheriff’s Citizens Academy, to support this important recurring event.
Officials said, "The retreat offers boys and girls an intensive overview of the firefighting profession with safe, interactive and physically challenging learning opportunities based on current safety and training standards.
Certified fire instructors teach the retreat, helping cadets build physical strength, confidence and leadership skills applicable to their lives and future careers.
"As part of the presentation, personnel in the HCSO School Resource Deputy Unit, Marine Patrol, K-9 Unit, D.A.R.E. and Patrol Services gave demonstrations and discussed how they conduct their daily operations. HCSO deputies serving in the Hamilton County UAS Team were also onsite with drones and showcasing some of their aerial capabilities."
“Partnerships with youth organizations like Team Mentoring, Inc. play a vital role in building meaningful, lasting relationships between the HCSO and our county’s youth. Now more than ever, it’s essential for law enforcement to work with and support groups that provide positive, educational opportunities for our young people and help develop the next generation of leaders in our county,” said Sheriff Austin Garrett.
"Thank you to all the HCSO personnel who participated in last night’s event," officials said.