Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
Firefighter Sam Posthuma is beginning a career as a police officer this month with Sweet Home Police Department.
Posthuma, 23, has been interested in law enforcement since high school and will leave for the 16-week police academy on June 25 after his last shift with Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District on June 20.
“Getting into the fire service, I never really pursued (police work) too much,” Posthuma said. But when he learned of an opening at SHPD, he applied. “It was an opportunity that came about. I was interested, and it came up.”
Posthuma has been with the Sweet Home fire department for more than two years as a paid intern. He started out at Halsey-Shedd Fire Department where he was a resident volunteer and attended Linn-Benton Community College.
He has his emergency medical technician basic certification. He was named Firefighter of the Year for the department in 2006.
Posthuma got into the fire service when a friend suggested they take EMT classes, he said. Although he is switching careers, he plans to continue as a volunteer.
Posthuma grew up in Sweet Home and is happy to be going to work here, he said.
“I’m staying in Sweet Home. I’m a Sweet Home boy.”
He is interested in all aspects of law enforcement, he said. He is going in with an open mind and hoping “to soak up all kinds of knowledge.”
As he goes in, he said he finds SWAT, narcotics, detectives and other kinds of specialized work the most intriguing.
“I just like the fact that law enforcement has so many avenues you can go down.”
He feels like he is leaving everything, he said, starting on square one again, “growing and learning as much as I can to be the best police officer I can.”
As far as the fire department, “I’m going to miss it here for sure,” Posthuma said “I grew very close to a lot of people here. This place has given me a lot in past years. I’m definitely grateful for the people here.”