Participants in the Citizens Academy have the option to learn how to fire a gun safely, with training from local law enforcement. (Metro Wire photo)

Emergency Services Citizens Academy expands to 13 sessions this fall

By Brandi Makuski

STEVENS POINT — Residents interested in learning how local police officers, firefighters and emergency medical responders do their jobs will have more opportunities to do so this fall as the Emergency Services Citizens Academy returns with an expanded schedule.

The Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Stevens Point Police Department, Plover Police Department and Stevens Point Fire Department are once again partnering to offer the free program, which has expanded from 10 sessions last year to 13 this year.

Registration is now open through an online application at https://forms.gle/gLZxZcx5pH8n3U1v6, according to Plover Police Department Crime Prevention Officer Seth Pionke.

The academy begins Sept. 3 and concludes Nov. 12. Most sessions will be held Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m., with two Saturday sessions scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon on Oct. 3 and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 17.

Designed for adults 18 and older, the academy offers participants a behind-the-scenes look at police, fire and EMS operations through classroom instruction, demonstrations and hands-on activities.

Participants experience a variety of interactive exercises, including fingerprinting, CPR, fire hose handling and use-of-force simulations using training weapons in a mock drug house. The academy also includes tours of the Portage County Jail, the county’s 911 dispatch center and other emergency services facilities, with instruction provided by local first responders who volunteer their time.

Those who volunteer also have the opportunity to experience a Taser exposure, hands-on firefighting, firing live weapons under supervision at the Dewey law enforcement range, and participate in tactical demonstrations.

Sheriff Mike Lukas has previously said the academy is intended not only for those who already support emergency services, but also for residents who have questions about how first responders operate.

“We want the naysayers; we want people who question what we do to take this class,” Lukas said during last year’s academy registration period. “Even if you already support law enforcement and fire and EMS, it’s really an eye-opener.”

The 2026 academy will meet weekly on Thursdays, with two Saturday classes, from Sept. 3 to Nov. 12.