Stearns County Sheriff’s Office Recruiting for Explorer Program

(KNSI) – The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office is looking for teens and young adults interested in a career in public safety.

The agency is accepting applications from people ages 15 to 20 for its Explorer Program. The program has been running since 1976 and is designed to introduce participants to careers in law enforcement, dispatch, and corrections.

An informational meeting is scheduled for Sunday, August 23rd at 7:00 p.m. in Room 499 of the Stearns County Administration Center, 705 Courthouse Square in St. Cloud.

Explorers train on everyday law enforcement scenarios, report writing, defensive tactics, and arrest protocol. They also learn CPR and basic first aid, how to dispatch, and what it is like to work in a jail setting. That training is put to use at local, state, and national competitions, where Explorers work through reality-based scenarios against peers from across the country.

Members volunteer at community events by providing security, first aid, and traffic control. They can also take part in ride-alongs with officers and sit-alongs with dispatchers.

The group meets weekly during the school year and periodically over the summer.

Anyone interested can email SheriffExplorer@stearnscountymn.gov for more information.

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