2014 CAREERS EDITION
B OBBIE D ORE F OSTER
Executive Editor
J ERRY F OSTER
Account Executive
L ISA L OVING
News Editor
H ELEN S ILVIS
Multimedia Editor
D AVID K IDD
Graphic Designer
The Skanner Newspaper, established
in October 1975, is a weekly publication,
published each Wednesday by IMM
Publications Inc.,
415 N. Killingsworth St., P.O. Box
5455, Portland, OR 97228.
Telephone (503) 285-5555.
E-mail: info@theskanner.com
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thanks our sponsors
for this
2014 Special Edition
Clackamas
Community College
Concordia
University
Lincoln City
Metro
Oregon Health &
Science University
Oregon
Health Authority
Port of Portland
RR Donnelly
The Pacific Northwest
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E
very year we at The Skanner News put
together a Careers Special Edition high-
lighting useful job trends we hope will
actually improve our readers’ lives. We are look-
ing at employment opportunities that offer family
wages, not just any old job.
This year our focus is more controversial than
usual: emergency services, including law-
enforcement. For years the police accountability
movement has called for more enforcement per-
sonnel hired locally, to patrol their own neighbor-
hoods — and there has never been a better time
for young people to aspire to do exactly that.
Jobs in emergency services, from medical tech-
nicians to emergency room nurses, firefighters,
sheriffs and police, are set to skyrocket over the
next decade as more and more workers retire.
Within these pages, we have interviewed a wide
array of professionals, all with the goal of giving
you the information you need to plan better lives
for yourself and your family.
At The Skanner News, our goal is challenging
people to make a better future now. Even though
the economy remains unstable, we are convinced
opportunities exist for those who care to seek
them out.
PHOTO BY LISA LOVING
B ERNIE F OSTER
Founder/Publisher
Families came together last year at National Night Out at Portland Community
College, Cascade Campus.
Lisa Loving, The Skanner News
If You’re Thinking about a Career in Law
Enforcement, Learn about the DPSST
T
he Department of Public Safety
Standards & Training sets standards
and operate the Basic Academy courses
for the public safety agencies in Oregon that
it serves. Based on Oregon law, anyone
attending the academy for training must first
be employed by an Oregon police, correc-
tions, parole & probation agency, or a public
safety dispatch center.
All public safety employees undergo an
extensive background investigation, psycho-
logical and physical exams. Each agency has
different hiring requirements. For more infor-
mation regarding hiring practices, please con-
tact the agency you would like to work with.
You will find links to most Oregon Public
Safety
agencies
at:
www.oregon.gov/DPSST/RelatedSites.shtml
Once you become employed as a police
Having an Associate or
Bachelor’s degree will
help you stand out
from other applicants
for an available
position
officer, corrections officer, parole and proba-
tion officer, or 911 dispatcher, you must com-
plete the basic academy training at the
Department of Public Safety Standards &
Training (DPSST).
Once you complete the hiring process, the
hiring authority will submit an application for
training on your behalf to DPSST. Keep in
mind, there are no self-sponsored basic law
enforcement or dispatch classes offered in the
state of Oregon.
In additions to the requirements above,
Basic Police students must meet specific and
measurable standards with respect to physical
conditioning during their Basic Police
Course: You can review these standards at:
Page 2 The Skanner News Careers Edition May 21, 2014
PHOTO BY HELEN SILVIS
“Challenging People to Shape a
Better Future Now”
Looking for
a Future?
Once you become employed as a police officer, corrections officer, parole and
probation officer, or 911 dispatcher, you must complete the basic academy
training at the Department of Public Safety Standards & Training.
http://www.oregon.gov/DPSST/AT/ORPAT.s
html
To enhance your employability for a career
in law enforcement, consider approaching
your local police department, county sheriff’s
office, community corrections facility, or 911
dispatch centers about volunteer opportuni-
ties. If you’re attracted to police work, you
may wish to become a reserve police officer
and attend a reserve academy hosted by a
local agency. This is a good way to see the
job first- hand and experience, on a smaller
scale, what the academy is like. Many agen-
cies offer citizens academies which develop
citizen awareness and understanding of the
role of law enforcement in the community.
Having an Associate or Bachelor’s degree
will help you stand out from other applicants
for an available position. Many agencies
require a two or four-year degree to apply or
promote once on the job. Common criminal
justice career degrees are Criminal Justice,
Sociology, Criminology, Psychology, and
Communications. Any degree will enhance
your chances for employment and will
demonstrate your willingness to work hard
and put in the time to learn new things.
Again, thank you for your interest in the
Department of Public Safety Training &
Standards. We wish you success in your
career and look forward to seeing you at an
academy training in the future.
If you have further questions, call 503-378-
2353 or visit www.oregon.gov/DPSST.