By BILL POWELL
bpowell@dcherald.com

Cummings

JASPER — The Dubois County Sheriff’s Office’s newest deputy brings loads of first-responder experience and want-to to the job.

As a youngster growing up in Montgomery, Case Cummings, 30, wanted to be the person helping others for the common good whenever he’d watch movies like “Backdraft” and TV shows like “Knight Rider.”

“I was hooked,” he says. “I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

At age 18, he became a volunteer firefighter. At 19, he added EMT to his résumé. He studied fire science and safety technology at Vincennes University and will continue pursuing a bachelor’s degree in homeland security.

“After seeing some of the things I saw, I got into law enforcement at 21,” Cummings said. “I wanted to try to prevent some of the stuff I was responding to working for the ambulance service and the fire department. I wanted to be able to help change things for the better.”

His law enforcement career included stops at a small western Kentucky city police department, the Daviess County Jail and the police departments in Washington, Odon and Loogootee. Along the way, he’s gained K-9 and emergency response team experience and is a training officer.

He was sworn in to fill an open slot on the sheriff’s office roster June 1 and began work last week, initially being paired with a different officer each day while learning the ropes.

“When I got into law enforcement,” he says, “I always saw myself as being a deputy. I wanted to be out and about in the whole county.”

Recently divorced, Cummings is the father of four children ranging in age from 10 to 5 and most of his off-duty activities involve kid-centered pursuits like pool time or playing basketball and catch. For his “me” time, he enjoys power lifting.

His goal as a deputy is to ensure the public knows they can trust and approach him regardless of the situation.

“I’m no different than anyone else,” he says. “I wear this uniform for 12 hours a day. I have a home life just like they do. I have a family just like they do.”