Public Safety Officer; Police and Fire

General Statement of Duties

Performs specialized law enforcement and fire service work to protect life and property in the Town.

An employee in this class performs a full range of specialized law enforcement and fire service duties. In law enforcement, duties include patrolling the Town during an assigned shift in a police car or on foot; preventing, detecting, and investigating disturbances and crime; performing traffic control; apprehending suspects; and executing related assignments. In fire service, the employee is responsible for fighting fires inside or outside structures and vehicles and responding to hazardous materials incidents.

Employees may also be assigned to criminal investigations or School Resources work. Work includes maintaining departmental equipment, buildings, and grounds. Work standards and procedures are well established and understood; however, the employee must exercise considerable independence and judgment when responding to law enforcement incidents. Employees must exercise judgment, initiative, and calm control when performing duties; more difficult problems are normally handled under the direction of, or in conjunction with, a Public Safety Sergeant or Lieutenant assigned to the same shift.

Work involves frequent public contact which requires tact, firmness, and decisiveness. Work is performed in accordance with departmental policy and state and federal law, supplemented with specific directions from supervisors. Employees are subject to hazards associated with public safety work, including working in both indoor and outdoor environments, in extreme hot and cold weather, and exposure to hazards such as dangerous people, working at heights, loud noises, and hazardous spills with fumes, oils, gases, or flammable liquids.

Work is also subject to the final OSHA standards on blood borne pathogens. Shift supervisors supervise work and evaluate it through observation and inspection at the incident scene, monitoring radio traffic, and reviewing reports for adherence to laws, department procedures, and appropriate decision‑making.

• Responds to calls for assistance, complaints, suspicious activity, domestic disputes, loud and disruptive behavior; completes calls by determining the true nature of the situation and taking whatever legal or persuasive action is warranted.
• Patrols streets in a police car; checks doors and windows; examines premises of unoccupied residences or buildings; detects unusual conditions; may maintain surveillance and observation for stolen cars, missing persons, or suspects; reports dangerous or defective streets, sidewalks, traffic lights, or other hazardous conditions.

• Investigates traffic accidents; issues traffic citations; directs traffic and participates in other emergency operation activities; provides preliminary medical assistance until advanced rescue crews arrive; assists with loading and transport.
• Performs investigations of accidents or possible crimes through observation, questioning witnesses, and gathering physical evidence; performs investigative tasks, arrests and processes criminal suspects; presents findings in court; maintains case files; coordinates cases with DA’s office as needed; may be assigned to full‑time investigations unit.
• May be assigned to School Resources Officer role; establishes rapport and trusting relationships with students, faculty, staff, parents and administration; may teach the DARE or GREAT curriculum; participates in planning and delivering various community and school engagement programs; plans and participates in school lockdown drills; investigates possible crimes and serious behavioral issues at the school; provides classroom talks regarding bullying, weapons, drugs, sexting, etc.
• Issues citations for violation of traffic regulations, serves warrants; apprehends and processes criminal suspects and transports them to detention facilities.
• Regulates and directs vehicular traffic at busy times at local schools and when traffic signals malfunction or accidents require it.
• Provides special public safety services to Central Regional Psychiatric Hospital campuses; conducts fire drills; investigates assaults and other crimes on campus; assists staff with violent patients; transports mental health patients among state facilities.
• Operates a two‑way radio to receive instructions and information from or to report information to…