A Fannin County native, Dane Kirby started his law enforcement career in 1988 with the Department of Corrections. Since then, he has worked with the Gilmer County Sheriffs Office, Blue Ridge Police Department, and served with the Georgia State Patrol for 15 years. His assignments with the Georgia State Patrol, starting in 1992, included Post 3 Cartersville, Executive Security Detail with Governor Zell Miller, Post 28 Canton and most recently Post 27 Blue Ridge.

Dane is the son of former Sheriff Roy Kirby and Johnnie Bradley. He has two brothers, Danny Kirby of Morganton and Terry Gates of Dalton, and one sister, Teresa O’Blenes, of Murphy, North Carolina.

Dane Kirby is a member of Hemptown Baptist Church.

PROFESSIONAL ASSIGNMENTS In November 1991, I was employed by the Gilmer County Sheriffs Office as a jailer at the Gilmer County Jail. There I learned the procedures for housing inmates on the local level and how a county jail operates. The detail required and the liability involved was a real eye opener for me as well as the danger. I served here until January 1992.

In January 1992, I was employed by the Blue Ridge Police Department. I served there as a patrolman until December, 1992.

In January 1993, I was employed by the Georgia State Patrol as a radio operator at Post 3 Cartersville. In this capacity I was responsible for communications between troopers and the patrol post and between the patrol post and other agencies, as well as the public. I was also certified by the Georgia Crime Information Center as a terminal operator, which consisted of checking drivers license information, vehicle registration, handling hits on wanted persons and many more tasks which operators were responsible for. Post 3 Cartersville was the second busiest patrol post in the state, second only to Villa Rica. We worked Bartow and Paulding Counties and were a 24 hour operation, having the responsibility of over 30 miles of I-75, and working over 3000 traffic accidents per year.

In August 1995, I transferred to the Executive Security Detail with the Georgia State Patrol. This detail was responsible for the security of Governor Zell Miller and his family as well as the grounds of the Georgia Governors Mansion.

In January 1999, I was assigned to Post 28 Canton, which is responsible for Cherokee and Pickens Counties. Cherokee County was one of the fastest growing counties in the country at this time and was very busy. In my first year there I worked several very high profile fatality accidents and was involved in a number of high speed vehicle chases. This was also around the time when Methamphetamine was becoming popular and arrests were common. After a couple of years in Canton, I had faced a number of different situations and was learning how to make my experience work for me.

In October 2000, I became certified as a Field Training Officer. These officers were hand picked by Post and Troop supervisors and I was honored to be chosen. We were responsible for the field training portion of the Georgia State Patrol Trooper School. Cadets were assigned to different posts for 30 days each. When Canton got a cadet, he rode with me. I was given the task of not only keeping him alive for 30 days, but teaching him how to apply what he had learned in the classroom to the roads as a trooper.

I finished my career with the Georgia State Patrol at Post 27 Blue Ridge. I found out quickly that the knowledge that I had gained over the last several years in other parts of the state was a very valuable tool here at home. I had the privilege to work with some of the finest, most professional state troopers and sheriffs in the land. Words can not capture how grateful I am to have had the opportunities to do the things that I have done. I am confident that I can handle any situation that I am faced with as your Sheriff.


PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
Georgia Police Academy 1992

GCIC Terminal Operator 1993

74th Georgia State Patrol Trooper School -1998

Radar Certification-1998

Laser Speed Detection -2000

TASER Electronic Device

Intoximeter 5000

TRAINING HISTORY Rapid Response to Active Shooter/Schools 3-20-2007 High Speed Chase Liability 10-10-2006 Advanced Firearms/Use of Deadly Force 9-12-2006 Taser Simulator Training 6-23-2006 Conducting Highway Safety Checkpoints 5-26-2006 Pursuit Intervention Liability 10-25-2005 Security and Integrity Training 10-12-2005 Judgmental Shooting 7-19-2005 G8 Summitt Protective Operations 5-10-2004 Mobile Field Force/Riot Control 2-26-2004 Crown Victoria Steering and Braking School 1-30-2004 Vehicle Pullovers 6-5-2003 Driving Simulator Training 4-3-2003 Traffic Enforcement 1-18-2002 Pursuit Driving 12-2-1999