There are several things that you must know or do before becoming a public safety officer in your community. Public safety officers can be any individual that works for an agency that is public in nature. Individuals that work as firefighters, in law enforcement, corrections, and even emergency response and preparedness teams are all considered to be public safety officers. Here, I will introduce you to the 3 important things you must know or do before becoming an officer that serves the safety of the public.

1. Education:

The first important thing that you should learn about is the education that is required to become certified to work in public safety. The education that you will need to acquire will be dependent upon the field that you select to work in, as well as the agency that you will work for.

You will need to determine the coursework that you need to complete in any special academy and/or educational institution. You should also take into consideration the cost of the schooling and if the agency covers any part of the tuition. Keep in mind that there may be special grants and/or loans that you may qualify for in order to help pay for the overall cost of the education that is required.

2. Physical Requirements:

The second important thing that you will need to know prior to becoming a public safety officer is the physical requirements. Many of the positions in these fields require a high level of health, as well as high levels of physical endurance. For example, as a law enforcement officer, you are typically required to:

a. Be able to run a mile in nine minutes or less

b. Push a full size vehicle approximately ten to fifteen feet

c. Drag a one hundred and fifty pound sandbag and/or dummy approximately ten to fifteen feet

d. Go over a wall that is six feet in height

e. Run across a balance beam without falling

f. Withstand a test where you are pepper sprayed in the face

g. Undergo a test where you are tasered

h. Complete a certain amount of pushups, sit-ups, and other physical exercises in a set amount of time

You must know what is expected, be healthy, and ready to face the requirements that are designated for your particular field.

3. Psychological Aspects:

If you are going into public safety service, you should take special care to consider the psychological aspects of the position in which you are selecting. You may be exposed to extremely high levels of stress, physical violence, witnessing crimes taking place, verbal and emotional abuse, and even come face to face with death - natural, suicidal, and homicidal.

It is important that you know and understand these situations may occur right from the start - and at any time while you are in service. If you feel as if you cannot handle this type of psychological pressure, it may be best if you opt to do something other than public safety.

If you consider the above 3 important things that you should know or do before becoming a public safety officer, you will quickly be able to determine if this type of profession is for you. If it is, I encourage you to do more reading on the career. You can do this by visiting websites that cover the career in more detail.

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