This past Thursday, Soddy Daisy High School welcomed the honored guests of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Officers Mark Delaney and Keith Haring gave a quick presentation over their careers in the TBI and what a typical work day looks like for them. Despite the engaging conversation, Faith the Accelerant Detection Canine for East Tennessee stole the show.
Faith was the center of attention for the students in attendance and showed off some of her special skills for the education and entertainment of the audience. Her handler, Officer Delaney, explained her influential role in the TBI as the accelerant detection canine. Faith is so skilled in her job that Delaney explained, “ [She was]… trained to detect six different variations of accelerant, ten microliters of liquid in a 300 yard field.”
Officers Delany and Haring explained the recent need for more officers in law enforcement, and the steady decline in the occupation. SDHS is fortunate to have multiple criminal justice classes and even a forensics science class for students to get a feel of how the field of work would be if they decided to pursue it.
When asked about his start in the TBI, Delany commented, “I wasn’t the guy that thought that he was going to save the world. I met a man that was a TBI officer that inspired me to work with them. He was a great man who told the most interesting stories. From that, I learned early on that I wanted to work for the TBI.”
The TBI likes to recruit officers with experience prior to their applications. Delany explained how important it was for students to get the experience early in their careers and the classes that SDHS offers are a great opportunity for students to try out the occupation and get started in their experience.
As a surprise guest, David Carroll (reporter for News Channel 3) made an appearance to report on the TBI officer visit and gave a quick word to the students in attendance. Carroll mentioned that, “Soddy Daisy High School is the only school in the county to offer classes like these.”
