Aiken Department of Public Safety

Public Safety is a unique concept that firefighters and police officers in a given jurisdiction are cross trained in the fire service and law enforcement fields. This concept can be traced back to Departments in Glencoe, IL and Sunnydale, CA, as far back as the early 1950’s. At the Aiken Department of Public Safety, all Public Safety Officers are expected to obtain and maintain certifications from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy and South Carolina Fire Academy. Prior to 1970, the City of Aiken was served by the traditional roles of the Aiken Fire Department and the Aiken Police Department. However, the city of Aiken decided to merge the roles of the fire and police chiefs, and on July 1, 1970 with the appointment J. Carrol Busbee as its first Director of Public Safety Department for the City of Aiken. In 1982 the department was recognized as South Carolina’s first Class 2 fire department. In March of 1989, the department decided improve its law enforcement services to the community by making application for the law enforcement accreditation process offered by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). The department has worked for many years establishing and revising procedures, refining practices, and preparing compliance with professional law enforcement standards. In 2006, the Aiken Department of Public Safety was recognized by CALEA as a “Flagship Agency”.