Though the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office cannot hold its annual National Night Out event this year, the sheriff’s office wanted to highlight some of the people who make this event such a success. The sheriff’s office thanks Deputy Edwin Alejandro for his work with Sports Martial Arts, and for sharing his love of martial arts with the community. Additionally, the sheriff’s office would like to recognize K-9 deputies and their K-9 partners, as well as the families of deputies who help care for each dog. Lastly, the sheriff’s office shares a bit about what goes on behind the scenes of Project Lifesaver.
Showcasing Sports Martial Arts
Deputy Edwin Alejandro is a multi-time world champion in martial arts. He, along with his wife, Audrey, come every year to our National Night Out event and produce one of our most popular demonstrations.
As the owners of Sports Martial Arts Studios in Rocky Mount, Edwin and Audrey have been training young people for many years.
When SMA arrives at NNO and his crew begin to unload the mats, folks start gathering around. Once the demonstration begins, it is not unusual for 1/3 of the entire crowd to be at Edwin’s site.
Deputy Alejandro is not only one of our deputies, he is also one of the K9 deputies. He gives back to the community with his martial arts instructions, and he mentors young kids along the way.
Thank you to Edwin, Audrey, and all the Sports Martial Arts team for what you do.
Spotlight on K-9s
Each National Night Out, we have our K-9 deputies and their K-9 partners hold many demonstrations throughout the course of the evening.
Our K-9 Division has dogs trained to follow a trail of a person lost or wanted, alert on drugs and protect the K-9 deputy. This group responds to and is involved in hundreds of calls each year. Being responsible for our K-9 animals, a deputy has to train, exercise, feed, and provide shelter for the dog constantly. The deputy must also keep up with the K-9’s medical condition and history.
This unit is also very active in community events. They have been a part of church, civic, non-profit and other outreach programs.
Every K-9 deputy will tell you their families are a vital part of the love and care the dog receives, also.
So, we thank and salute all our K-9 deputies, their four-legged partners, and their families for all the assistance given to the Office of the Sheriff.
Office of the Sheriff and Project Lifesaver
Since 2006, the Office of the Sheriff has participated in the internationally operated Project Lifesaver Program. Project Lifesaver is the premier search and rescue program operated internationally by public safety agencies, and is strategically designed for “at risk” individuals who are prone to the life threatening behavior of wandering. The primary mission of Project Lifesaver is to provide timely response to save lives and reduce potential injury for adults and children with the propensity to wander due to a cognitive condition.
As of today’s date, there are 31 active participants in our county. Six deputies are trained in the tracking of clients and they are referred to as the Project Lifesaver Emergency Response Team.
The Office of the Sheriff funds this program solely on the department’s annual calendar sales, and we are thankful to be able to provide this service at no cost to Franklin County residents. For more information on Project Lifesaver, please contact the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office at (540) 483-3000.
