The 2026 Campbell County Citizens’ Academy is underway!

The 2026 Campbell County Citizens’ Academy is underway, and participants spent their first evening learning about some of the people, equipment and planning behind services residents rely on every day.

This first week of the academy was a behind-the-scenes look at the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, Road Department, Police Department and Office of Emergency Management (OEM).

Road Supervisor Rick Buster took the class inside the work of the Campbell County Road Department, which maintains approximately 200 miles of county roads, 124 bridges, 1,389 culverts and more than 715 road signs. Participants learned about everything from resurfacing, drainage and slip repairs to the county’s winter operations, including how crews use brine, surface-temperature data and other tools to prepare for snow and ice.

Police Chief Craig Sorrell introduced participants to the Campbell County Police Department and gave the class a closer look at its work and specialized capabilities, including the department’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems team. Captain Donald Dornheggen explained to the class how the drones in service help the police department in searches as well as how they keep officers safe during pursuits.

The Campbell County Sheriff’s Office provided another side of county law enforcement. Participants learned about the history of the sheriff’s office and the responsibilities it carries today, including property tax collection, court services, vehicle inspections, prisoner transportation, concealed carry permits and election duties. The class also learned about the Sheriff’s Office involvement with Northern Kentucky SWAT and the regional Police and Sheriff Training Center.

OEM Director William Turner finished the classroom portion of the evening with a look at what happens before, during and after an emergency. Participants learned how the Office of Emergency Management plans for natural disasters, hazardous materials incidents, major transportation emergencies, power and water outages, evacuations and other events. OEM also coordinates emergency resources, maintains emergency operations plans and offers more than 30 emergency management and search-and-rescue trainings each year.

The highlight of the night was a hands-on Touch-a-Truck experience, giving participants a close-up look at the specialized vehicles, equipment and technology county teams use in the field. Departments brought a wide range of equipment, including SWAT vehicles, a Road Department backhoe and snowplow, and several OEM trailers used for mass-casualty response, search and rescue, special-needs response and decontamination. The Police Department also demonstrated its drone system, flying an aircraft equipped with FLIR infrared technology and showing participants how officers can use the system during public safety operations. It was an opportunity for the class to see the equipment up close, talk directly with the employees and volunteers who operate it and better understand the resources available when Campbell County responds to emergencies and serves the community.

Over the next seven classes, Citizens’ Academy participants will continue going behind the scenes of Campbell County government, meeting the employees who do the work and learning more about how county services operate.

Thank you to everyone who helped make our first night a success, and to the 2026 Citizens’ Academy class for joining us!