Public Safety in Perry Stepping Up to Keep Up with Growing Population

PERRY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Public safety in Perry is seeing a big boost with two new recently dedicated facilities, a fire station and a public safety training center.

Officials say they want to protect and serve their community efficiently,and they say these new efforts will help them do that.

If any residents have concerns about public safety, officials in Perry say they’re ready to meet the challenge.

Two facilities were recently dedicated representing a start of a new chapter.

The Davis Farm Fire Station has been in use since May of this year and officials with the fire department say the new building has been crucial.

“Since this station has opened, we’ve pulled an engine company from that station and brought it out here to man this station. By manning this station it’s cut our response times very lower compared to what it was in town,” Senior Fire Lieutenant Robbie Rowell said.

He says the city has worked to give the department everything they need, from new jackets and gear, to a state of the art garage.

“We’ve always told the city, all we want to do is do our job. Give us the equipment, give us the man power, give us the stations and we’ll get the jobs done, and they’ve been real good about it,” Rowell said.

Then there’s the George A. Potter Public Safety Training Center…a renovated 35 acre property that used to be a landfill.

James Buck with the Perry Police Department says the area is a training ground for new officers to get them street ready.

“This is still a work in progress, we’ll eventually have obstacles built in the center of the track to increase not only physical fitness, but some of the day to day obstacles they’re going to face on the road,” Buck said.

The center, funded primarily using drug money that was seized from a dealer arrested in Perry, provides officers with gun ranges, virtual shooting programs, and a fitness track.

“We’ll continue to improve our firing range area, and try to increase our officers’ abilities to serve our citizens.”