The Protective Services program provides students with a comprehensive public safety education. The curriculum is designed to prepare students for careers in four broad public safety areas: law enforcement and criminal justice, fire protection, emergency health services, and emergency management. More specifically, students will study: 1) criminal justice system, including juvenile justice and delinquency, corrections, and judiciary; law enforcement/police science including PA crimes and vehicle codes, criminal behavior, investigations and evidence/forensics, patrol, traffic and crowd control procedures; physical and mental fitness including self-discipline, defensive and arrest techniques and the use of force continuum; 2) fire science including prevention, fire fighting and rescue techniques, and hazardous materials; 3) emergency medical services including EMT first responder techniques and dispatch; and 4) comprehensive emergency management. Students will be required to complete all areas of this comprehensive public safety curriculum including successfully completing an end of program exam and all related industry certification tests.

Students will apply and refine their communication and computer skills through report writing, research, and information retrieval. The curriculum will include discussions and case studies on professionalism, ethics, cultural diversity, and conflict resolution. The program combines lecture, practical application, and clinical experiences. Fire certification courses will be taught in partnership with Bucks County Community College. BCTC will provide both EMR and EMT certifications coursework in conjunction with the Berks EMS Council. This program provides an excellent foundation from which to pursue a career in public safety.