CAREERS EDITION 2014
Portland Community College Offers Career Accreditations
P
ortland Community College is a center for special
training and accreditation of emergency services
workers from many disciplines.
For more information about the program listed below, go
to www.pcc.edu.
Criminal Justice
Can you help rehabilitate a youth who already has a crim-
inal record? How does a forensic pathologist know how to
treat a crime scene? What is the Miranda decision and how
does it affect the rights of those who are arrested or held in
custody? These are only a few questions you can expect
answered by the Criminal Justice program, one that pro-
vides a balance between a comprehensive introduction to
criminal law and corrections and the fundamental skills you
need to get started in the field.
PCC’s Criminal Justice program offers a variety of cthe-
ses, providing an overview of the criminal justice system
while also focusing on elements of criminal investigations,
forensics and police report writing. Law enforcement agen-
cies, both state and federal, routinely seek the graduates
because of the rigorous, comprehensive, and quality educa-
tion we provide. We’re sure you’ll agree. When it comes to
addressing crime, we excel in training you to understand the
policy, procedures, and applications of the law.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Emergency TeleCommunicator / 911 Dispatcher
The development of the modern emergency medical serv-
ices (EMS) system began during the 1960s. Until that point,
the local undertaker typically transported victims of emer-
gencies in a hearse, with no medical care - just a ride! The
goal to provide consistent and uninterrupted quality care at
the emergency scene and during transport to the hospital
became critical. Eventually, the “ambulance attendant” was
replaced by an emergency medical technician (EMT).
As a relatively new profession, EMS has seen tremendous
change in the past 50 years. Diagnostic, therapeutic and
pharmacologic advancements in medicine have dramatical-
ly improved the quality of care available to critically ill or
injured patients in the pre-hospital setting. There has been a
corresponding need for increased improvement in educa-
tion and training.
PCC’s Emergency Services program is committed to the
dynamic challenge of training and educating emergency
medical technicians to the highest standards. The PCC EMS
program has kept pace as technological advances and
demands have evolved. PCC provides students with the
solid foundation in emergency medicine necessary to enter
this rewarding and exhilarating career.
Prior to the existence of a 911 Emergency Dispatch sys-
tem, how did police, fire, and hospitals respond to emer-
gencies? Citizens dialed the operator, but telephone opera-
tors had no training. Callers were sometimes transferred to
the wrong towns, or worse, callers couldn’t find the correct
local emergency number. Since 1968, when the first 911
call was made, the usefulness of the emergency dispatcher
system both nationally and locally has shown to be indis-
pensable and has saved countless lives.
In the United States, call centers receive at least half a
million 911 calls per year. Aside from handling the volume,
how do dispatchers know whom to contact, how to contact,
or if they should escalate the response to a higher level,
such as contacting police, fire, or medical responders? The
answer is simple. A 911 dispatcher knows whom to contact,
how to remain calm, and when to take the call to the next
level because of training. You can learn the skills and tech-
niques necessary to help save lives in the Emergency
TeleCommunicator (911) program.
Emergency Management
The overwhelming short- and long- term needs of hurri-
cane, earthquake and tsunami victims, as well as the victims
of other natural and manmade disasters are an ever present
reminder that the United States government and world lead-
ers must become better prepared to manage both the disas-
ter and the aftermath, and be prepared to do so for as long
as necessary. Emergency Management, long thought to be
the venue of local and state police, fire and EMS responders
and the military, is becoming a highly specialized and rap-
idly growing profession. The emergency manager of the
future is expected to have a broad range of knowledge in a
variety of fields.
Emergency Management is a fast-growing field. The
Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that by 2014 there will
be a 22 percent increase in job openings just for emergency
management specialists. Many first responders in the fields
of law enforcement and the fire service are seeking addi-
tional training in emergency planning and preparedness.
Private sector employers are creating new emergency
management positions to prepare and protect their employ-
ees in the event of a major incident. Skilled emergency
managers will provide direction and restheces which will
allow businesses to continue vital operations, repair and
restore the utilities, and protect the health and well-being of
individuals, and organize recovery efforts for communities.
Fire Protection Technology
Disaster can strike at any minute. Whether it’s a raging
fire in a house, an accident on the freeway, or a medical
emergency, firefighters must be ready to respond to emer-
gency situations 24 hthes a day, seven days a week, 365
days a year. A firefighter may have to use fire hydrants,
operate a pump, use ladders, rescue victims, ventilate
smoke-filled interiors, or salvage a building’s contents,
when struck by fire.
PCC’s Fire Protection Technology program can prepare
you for a rewarding career working in fire protection by
gaining the knowledge you need, working with the “tools of
the trade,” and expert instructors.
Paralegal
Paralegals provide critical and integral support to
lawyers, corporations, public institutions and other employ-
ers, and they have established themselves to be an indis-
pensable workforce within the legal system since the 1960s.
Paralegals must perform all tasks under the supervision of a
lawyer, except as permitted by law.
Different categories of paralegals offer specialized skills.
A probate paralegal may interview clients while conducting
the collection, valuing and transfer of assets. A corporate
paralegal working within a large corporation may help write
employee benefit plans, employment handbooks, agree-
ments, or perform patent and trademark searches, and assist
in intellectual property issues. A family paralegal may have
a significant role maintaining client contact and helping
clients sort through legal issues. A litigation paralegal plays
an important role in case management up to and including
trial. Whatever the role, the paralegal provides an integral
part of the legal team. PCC’s Paralegal program offers a
high quality education, providing you with the fundamental
skills you need to succeed in today’s world of paralegal pro-
fessionals.
Page 12 The Skanner News Careers Edition May 21, 2014