Submitted

NORWAY — Jeremy Pyburn, 32, of South Paris – one of Norway Police Department’s newest officers – has adopted the Oxford Hills and wants to put down roots and raise his family here. Pyburn grew up in Hiram and graduated from The Community School in Tamworth, NH. During his youth he served as a volunteer junior fire fighter for Hiram, Denmark and Baldwin. From there he did a short stint at UMaine-Orono before joining the Maine Army National Guard where he trained as a medic and served in Afghanistan.

Once he finished his service, he went to Southern Maine Community College and became a certified precision welder. After a few years, he decided he wanted to pursue law enforcement. He says it was the next logical step having already trained as a fire fighter and EMT. “I was drawn to public safety after doing fire fighting and EMS … it was the next thing after the military.”

So off he went to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy and, upon graduation, to the Maine State Police where he served Troop B for six years. Troop B serves Oxford County so he got to know the area well. When he and his wife – who is a K-9 officer with the Scarborough Police Department – decided to start a family, they chose to settle in South Paris. Leaving the state police and coming to the Norway Police Department would work better for them, he says. As a trooper his zone would be the entire county but with Norway, he gets to stay in a finite area.

“We started a family and this [working for NPD] is closer to home and a more stable schedule.”

He brings his state police experience with him to the department which includes training on the crowd management team, tactical team and as a Field Training Officer (FTO). He is also a certified ALICE – Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate – instructor. ALICE is training for active shooter response and Pyburn has worked with schools and organizations and the county EMA to teach preparedness. He has also taught Use of Force and medical training at the academy while a trooper and would like to get back into that.

“I would also like to help set-up in-service training for officers, firefighters and EMS [locally],” he says. “This community is my home now and I would hate to see anything happen.”

Pyburn notes that his knowledge of the area from his time as a trooper, will serve him well as a local officer.

“I am really excited to be here [with NPD], it’s a great fit.”