The role of the Public Safety and Security Professional

When the World Trade Centre Towers fell on September 11, 2001, the world was forever changed. Terrorism had suddenly become a part of our daily lives, and despite the best attempts of the government and law enforcement, many Americans cannot regain the sense of security that they had prior to the attacks. In a different vein, Hurricane Katrina caused thousands of individuals to lose family members and their homes when the storm ripped through Louisiana. Although a completely different kind of terror was caused by that storm, those who have had to deal with the loss of loved ones and all of their possessions were left with a feeling of insecurity.

As with any major world upheaval, jobs needed to be created in order to deal with the backlash of these disasters. The Public Safety and Security Professional is a new career path that deals specifically with the protection of the public during the course of terrorist attacks, natural disasters, or the daily issues of corporate security. For the past 15-20 years, hiring in these areas was focused on individuals with a military or government backgrounds. The trend has changed recently to hiring of law-enforcement officials, as the internal crime has been on the upswing and gaining in levels of sophistication. Those who are interested in this field can now acquire an Undergraduate or Masters degree in Public Safety and Security.

An Undergraduate Degree in this area will include course work such as emergency response preparation, terrorism risk planning, hazardous material disposal, and private security practices. A Masters of Public Safety Administration is also available, and will better prepare the individual completing the course work for a quick promotion through the ranks of their chosen field. With a degree such as this, there are many career areas to choose from:

• Disaster Response – With any natural or manmade disaster, there has to be a plan in place. Coupled with conflict resolution, an individual in this field would work with trauma victims and strategically plan a response to a large-scale disaster.
• Law Enforcement – In a disaster, our natural response is to turn to law enforcement for assistance. A public safety department of your local police station deals with local security issues.
• Emergency Medical Assistance – Large-scale disasters are often planned for, so that emergency services can provide leadership to those assisting the public. A career in this area will involve planning and implementation of emergency responses to large and small issues.
• Homeland Security – Homeland security was a term brought to light after the World Trade Centre attacks. A person working in this field would be part of a team that addresses the issue of protecting individual from harm while still retaining their civil liberties.
• Corporate Security – Protection of a large company’s records, personnel, and vital information is important to American security overall. Working in Corporate security often monitor computers, servers, and people in order to better protect the company.

Corporate Security is a hot new career path that has come into light in the past 20 years. As we moved from the typewriter into a full Internet and server workplace, the need to protect company information became more and more vital. Much of the work that employees do is either emailed or processed via web applications. The consequences of even a small company losing confidential sales information could be disastrous. For a large company, such as a bank, security is vital to their livelihood and that of the people using their web systems. A Corporate Security specialist would monitor the network for possible attacks, protect against internal theft, and screen employees for security clearance.

Although it is not possible to provide the public with the same sense of serenity that was experienced before 9/11, the influx of new professionals into this area are providing a fresh, new way of thinking and solving the greater problems of security in our country, our cities, and even our workplace. Having individuals who are planning for every eventuality can create a safer country for everyone.

Find out more about your public safety degree online.