Columbia County Sheriff's Regional Training Center
On December 14, 2023, Sheriff Clay Whittle achieved his long-standing goal of founding a Law Enforcement Regional Training Center at the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. The addition of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Regional Training Center allows us to conduct all state-required basic law enforcement, detention, and communications training here in Columbia County. We are also able to provide needed advanced and specialized training. Training held at the CCSO-RTC is open to all agencies of the state.
One of our most critical responsibilities in law enforcement is training. It is our duty to ensure students receive the most innovative and current training available. We must strive to stay current with ever-changing laws and provide this information to all law enforcement students. Our goal is to provide the citizens we serve with the best trained, most highly skilled, and ethical public servants possible.
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Regional Training Center is located at 215 Range Road in Appling, Georgia. CCSO-RTC facilities consist of:
- 18,000 sf. Multi-Purpose Building
- 100 Acre Drivers Training Multiplex
- Four Classrooms
- Live fire shoot house
- 50-yard pistol range
- 100-yard rifle range
- 300-yard rifle range
- State of the art Judgmental Use of Force Simulator
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Regional Training Center is led by Captain Chris Railey. Lieutenant David Heaton, Staff Sergeant Dave Wheeler, Staff Sergeant Dale Newman, Deputy Keith Warner, Oleg Grinko, and Administrative Assistant Audrey Williamson complete the team. Together, they represent 120 years of policing experience. The CCSO-RTC team, along with adjunct instructors, ensure employees from all agencies receive critical training that meets the standards of the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council.
Driver's Training Multiplex
The Drivers Training Multiplex, which became fully operational in 2020, is comprised of a 1600-foot straightaway for braking exercises, a 1600-foot straightaway for off-road recovery exercises, a 400 by 600-foot reinforced concrete pad for multipurpose precision driving, two skid pads, and a road course designed for emergency vehicle response training. In addition, an asphalted area of intersecting roadways is designated for the future development of "little town."
The CCSO-RTC also conducts Teen Driver Training Programs throughout the year. The training consists of classroom and hands-on exercises for young drivers with at least three months of driving experience. The topics covered during the course include emergency braking, skid recovery, off-road recovery, and the dangers of driving distracted. Interested parties should contact Audrey Williamson via email at [email protected] for more information.
Citizen's Firearms Familiarization classes are conducted regularly throughout the year. Topics covered include classroom instruction on Georgia law pertaining to the use of force and weapons carry. The fundamentals of shooting are covered, and participants are allowed to apply those fundamentals on the range with the assistance of a range safety officer. For more information, please contact the Community Services Division at 706-541-2856.