Crime & Safety

Sandy Springs Rotary Honors Police Officer of the Year

Sandy Springs Police Officer Curley Sparks was named the 2011 Police Officer of the Year for a rescue during an April fire.

Earlier this week, The Sandy Springs Rotary Club honored police, fire and paramedics with public safety awards. Sandy Springs Patch will spotlight each recipient.

During a Monday luncheon, Police Chief Terry Sult presented Officer Curley Sparks with the 2011 Police Officer of the Year Award for the rescue of a woman from an April fire at Winding River Village condominiums.

Sult said, “Often times the police officers are the first ones on the scene…One of the jobs we do is to try to evacuate the buildings.”

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Sult recalled the enormity of the fire. There was a partial building collapse. “It was amazing to see…It was all hands on deck…a lot of heat, a lot of smoke. Fortunately only minor injuries occurred.” Firefighters were transported to the hospital for heat exhaustion.

Through it all, Sparks was able to pull a woman to safety. “And for that we are grateful,” he said.

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Sparks joined the Sandy Springs Police Department in 1997 after working in law enforcement in Richmond County, Ga., at Augusta State University and the City of Smyrna.

Return to Patch for more honorees of the Sandy Springs Rotary Public Safety Awards.


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