A Public Safety Officer is a unique professional who is cross-trained in law enforcement and fire fighting. All Public Safety Officers work the team concept in an effort to identify problems and request resources to resolve particular issues while they are in the incipient stage. Because of the demands on a Public Safety Officer, they receive, in average, 200 hours a year of "in service" training as well as state certified training at off site facilities. The Public Safety Officer is committed to serving the community where they work and often live.

Each Public Safety Officer has passed the Basic Police Academy, which is certified by California Police Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.). In addition all Public Safety Officers receive Fire Fighter 1 training that is certified by the California State Fire Marshal.

The Public Safety Officer who is working in patrol is assigned to a geographical area known as a beat. Each assignment is for six months and each officer works four 10 hour shifts per week. This allows the officer to get familiar with the area, which helps them to identify anything unusual in their assigned beat. The Public Safety Officer takes pride in his/her Beat and, it creates enhanced channels of communication concerning activity in a particular beat, and between the different teams. There are a total of six teams in patrol, three teams cover one beat in a twenty-four hour period. Additional specialized assignments that the Public Safety Officer can fill are the School Resource Officer, and the Traffic Officer positions.

When a Public Safety Officer is not assigned to patrol he/she may be working in a specialty assignment such as detectives, narcotics, or gang investigations. The Public Safety Officer may also be working in the Fire Division on a one or three year assignment. Officers assigned to fire services work the Kelly 24-hour shift schedule. This allows two stations to be staffed twenty-four hours a day. The beat officer augments the staffed engines by responding to the scene of an incident then becoming a member of the engine company. Each Public Safety Officer carries fire turn-outs (outer clothing for protection) in their assigned patrol vehicle. Also each Public Safety Officer has an alert pager at their residence and will respond to all major fire incidents when off duty.

Training for the Public Safety Officer is continual. Each Thursday is a training day and half of the department's Public Safety Officers are at their assigned duties while the other half attend training. The training is either law enforcement and/or fire fighting topics. The Public Safety Officer responds to medical related calls and is trained as a State Certified First Responder, many are Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), and a few are Paramedics. The Beat Officer carries in his/her patrol vehicle a medical bag along with a defibrillator used on heart attack cases.

This intense training is imperative for the Public Safety Officer, at any particular incident the need for resources are demanding. Public Safety Officers have the opportunity to take on collateral duties and participate on the following teams:

• Major Accident Investigation Team
• Narcotic Investigator
• Arson Investigation Team
• Hazardous Material Team
• Fire Investigator Team
• Stolen Vehicle Investigator
• Peer Support Team
• Evidence Collection Team

The Public Safety Officer is a well-trained law enforcement officer and fire fighter committed to serving and working in a partnership with the community for a better quality of life.