Faith Smitherman
Introduction
In this edition, I have gathered information about three of the programs offered here at VTCTA; Criminal Justice, 911 Dispatch, and EMS. For criminal justice, I go into detail about some of the great jobs that criminal justice can be helpful in and the best colleges for a criminal justice degree. For EMS, I wrote about some great colleges for EMS, the best jobs in the EMS field, and also how EMS can significantly help those who plan on applying for medical school. Lastly, I wrote about 911 dispatch. For 911 dispatch, I wrote about some successful tips on how to pursue this career, requirements for this job, and some certifications I recommend. In the next edition, I will be featuring Cyber Security, Forensic Science, and Law Enforcement so make sure to come back 4th quarter.
EMS
College
From 2010 to 2022, employment for jobs in the medical field, specifically EMTs and paramedics, have increased by 33%! This is mainly due to the fact that so many colleges have been improving their EMT programs in quality. After doing some research, I found the best colleges for those planning on taking up an EMS program in college. The colleges that were highly recommended were the college of Sequoias, Brutte College, East Los Angeles College, Santa Rosa Junior College, and Bakersfield College. All of these colleges not only have a phenomenal EMS program that has a high ROI, but they all aren't very expensive either. These colleges fit a lot of students' budgets which is something to look for in a college.
Jobs
The EMS program here at VTCTA is beneficial to so many different career choices. Some of the best career choices that are related to EMS are the roles of a firefighter, EMT, surgeon, medical assistant, and paramedic. All of these career choices require a lot of information that can be gathered by the EMS program. If you are planning on taking up any of these career choices or any other career that belongs in the medical field, I highly recommend becoming an EMT. This job as an EMT gives you a lot of experience and the wonderful thing about this occupation is that you can become an EMT right out of high school. It is also possible to attend college and work as an EMT at the same time. It may be challenging but it is absolutely doable. Even if becoming an EMT isn't for you, taking the EMS program here at VTCTA is highly beneficial and 100% recommended for those seeking a career in the medical field.
Medical Field
If you are planning on going into the medical field it is a wonderful idea to continue with EMS and become an EMT. EMTs are much more likely to get into medical school as working as an EMT gives you experience. 85.6% of medical schools favor applicants who have worked as EMTs. Working as an EMT not only shows medical schools that you have experience working in the field, but it also shows them that you have a passion for working with people and helping them. When medical schools see that you have worked as an EMT, it shows them that you are truly dedicated and are passionate about working in the medical field.
Criminal Justice
College
If you're looking forward to continuing criminal justice out of high school then you have probably done some research on the best colleges for criminal justice. Some of the colleges you may have looked into are Harvard University, Stanford University, Columbia University, Yale University, and the University of Chicago. Each of these colleges is phenomenal and is very beneficial for those seeking a job in the criminal justice field. Stanford, Yale, and Harvard are all the 3 top colleges for law students. At least 95% of all Yale, Harvard, and Stanford students end up passing their bar exams. Not only this but Stanford actually allows their students to work alongside professionals who are experts in the criminal justice, law, corrections, and forensics field to help their students get a better understanding of what job they are going into. While Stanford, Harvard, and Yale are ranked the top law schools, there are plenty of other amazing law schools to help those going into the criminal justice field.
Careers
If you are taking criminal justice here at VTCTA, you most likely want to become an attorney, criminal justice isn't just helpful to lawyers though. Criminal justice is very useful for police officers, private investigators, criminal profilers, and any job in the courtroom. In criminal justice, you learn a vast amount of information that can be very helpful in not only the criminal justice field but also the law enforcement field.
911 Dispatch
How to become a 911 Dispatcher
Pursuing the career of a 911 dispatcher is extremely challenging, and rightfully so but it 100% pays off. It is actually possible to become a 911 dispatcher right out of high school, as long as you are 18 years old. Some requirements for this job include being able to handle extremely stressful situations, having the ability to multitask, having quick decision-making abilities, and having a typing speed of 30+ words per minute.
Requirments and Successful Tips for 911 Dispatch
CPR certified. Most states require you to be CPR certified for taking up the role of a 911 dispatcher. Even if it isn't required for the state you live in, it is 100% recommended to become CPR certified. This is to ensure you are able to help any callers that need to complete CPR.
Improving your typing skills. It is required that you can type at least 30 words per minute. This is because 911 dispatch includes a lot of typing. Not only will typing faster help you become more qualified for this career, but it will also help you become faster and more efficient at this job.
Learning a Second Language. Although learning a second language isn’t a requirement for this job, it will help you tremendously when being considered for this job. Not everyone who calls 911 can speak English, so it’s important to learn a second language because that means you will be able to help more people who call.
Certifications recommended for 911 Dispatch
Legal and Libality training
CPR
Association of public safety communication officials
Nation Emergency number association
The international academies of Emergency Dispatch
Works Cited Page
Writers, Staff. “80 EMT Programs with High ROI.” FireScience.Org, 1 Nov. 2019, https://www.firescience.org/college-degree-rankings-online/emt-degree-programs-high-roi/.
“Could One Work as an EMT While Attending College?” Quora, https://www.quora.com/Could-one-work-as-an-EMT-while-attending-college. Accessed 14 Feb. 2022.
“EMT to Doctor: How to Prepare For Medical School.” Unitek EMT, 11 Oct. 2019, https://www.unitekemt.com/blog/from-emt-to-doctor-how-to-prepare-for-medical-school/.
Criminal Justice Jobs: Start a Career in Criminal Justice | GMercyU. https://www.gmercyu.edu/academics/learn/criminal-justice-career-options. Accessed 14 Feb. 2022.
“Paramedic and EMT Schools & Programs.” Accredited Schools Online, 30 Sept. 2020, https://www.accreditedschoolsonline.org/medical-and-health/paramedic-emt/.
“10 Essential Dispatcher Skills.” Indeed Career Guide, https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/dispatcher-skills. Accessed 14 Feb. 2022.
“How to Become a Dispatcher: Requirements, Training & Certification.” Best Accredited Colleges, https://bestaccreditedcolleges.org/articles/how-to-become-a-dispatcher-education-and-career-roadmap.html. Accessed 14 Feb. 2022.
https://plus.google.com/b/106159561751818762699/106159561751818762699. “What Is a Bar-Exam Pass Rate? | States With Highest & Lowest Rates.” BarMax Bar Exam Review, 20 Sept. 2019, https://testmaxprep.com/blog/bar-exam/bar-exam-pass-rate.
https://law.stanford.edu/areas_of_interest/criminal-law/#slsnav-faculty
https://www.redbubble.com/i/sticker/Dispatcher-Headset-Thin-Gold-Line-by-bluelinegear/55331705.EJUG5
“EMS.” City of Kyle, Texas - Official Website, https://www.cityofkyle.com/fire/ems. Accessed 14 Feb. 2022.
Working for More Justice in the Criminal Justice System. 12 June 2019, https://www.verizon.com/about/news/working-more-justice-criminal-justice-system.
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