Public Safety Officer

Public Safety Officers (PSOs) protect and serve the community by responding to calls for service involving police, fire, and medical emergencies in a professional and caring manner, to enhance the quality of life for all people in the City of Kalamazoo. KDPS offers a meaningful career that promotes balance between life and career and has opportunities for professional development and advancement through promotion

Responsibilities

PSOs perform a wide range of duties specifically related to providing police, fire, and medical services in the City of Kalamazoo. Some of the duties are listed below. However, the list is not exhaustive of every duty that a PSO may be required to perform:

Responds to calls for service that require police, fire, or medically trained professionals.

Police: Patrols an assigned zone, responds to calls for service to include high risk situations and those involving mental health crisis, enforces traffic laws, conducts criminal investigations, and makes lawful arrests.

Fire: Responds to working fires, investigates fire alarms and smoke, provides vehicle extrication, conducts traffic control during vehicle crash investigations, and mitigates hazardous material incidents.

Medical: Responds to medical calls for service including heart attacks and trauma, assists advanced life support services in rendering medical care, renders CPR and other lifesaving medical interventions as needed, and monitors patient status during the course of care. 

Collaborates with the community to solve problems and build trust.

Performs any other duty assigned by command or required by policy to further the organizational needs of KDPS.

Qualifications

Applicants must be 21 years old by December 11, 2025, possess Character Fitness (good moral character), have a valid driver's license, be a U.S. citizen, and meet all MCOLES licensing requirements found at https://www.michigan.gov/mcoles/standard-training/licensing-standards-for-michigan-law-enforcement-officers .

Applicants must pass each step of the KDPS hiring process which includes:

  Initial Application/Questionnaire

  MCOLES Testing

  Initial Interview

  Background Investigation

  Chiefs’ Interview

  Psychological/Medical/Drug Screening

Applicants must qualify for and be able to obtain all basic academy training certifications provided by the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards, the Firefighters Training Council, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Applicants must qualify for and maintain licensure with the governing body for each discipline: Police (MCOLES), Fire (Bureau of Fire Services), and EMS (Michigan Department of Health and Human Services). 

Minimum of High School Diploma; Associate or higher preferred, or any combination of education, training, and experience which provides the essential knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the functions of the job.

The City of Kalamazoo is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization where different perspectives and experiences are welcomed and encouraged. Studies have shown that women and people of color, are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet all of the qualifications listed. The City of Kalamazoo is most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one from a less traditional background. If you have transferable experience, please tell us about it. This approach will give each current and potential employee the opportunity to learn, grow and contribute to the City of Kalamazoo.