Dedication Ceremony Honors Former Marion County Sheriff Jason Myers (Photo) -03/18/25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2025

MEDIA CONTACT:

Sam Tenney, Communications Coordinator

sam.tenney@dpsst.oregon.gov

Cell: 503-931-4069

DEDICATION CEREMONY HONORS FORMER MARION COUNTY SHERIFF JASON MYERS

SALEM, Ore. — The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) held a ceremony on Monday, March 17 to commemorate the life and legacy of the late Jason Myers. Members of the law enforcement community, elected officials, and family members gathered for the dedication of a bench at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in memory of Myers, who made a tremendous impact on public safety in the state during a career that spanned more than three decades.

Myers spent 28 years with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), including ten years leading the agency as sheriff. From 2016 to 2019, he chaired both the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training and its Corrections Policy Committee. After retiring from MCSO in 2019, he served as the executive director of the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association.

Myers passed away in October 2024 after a two-year battle with cancer. In recognition of his lasting impact on DPSST and the public safety community throughout the state, the agency dedicated the bench at the academy in Salem in his memory.

DPSST Director Phil Castle said that the placement of the bench in a courtyard in front of a classroom building at the academy is fitting. “Jason is and was a big part of this academy,” Director Castle said. “And having this bench that looks out on the rest of the academy…we just thought it was fitting.”

Guest speakers at the event included Valerie Colas, public safety advisor to Governor Tina Kotek, retired Marion County Undersheriff Troy Clausen, Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director Tim Svenson, Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police Executive Director Kevin Campbell, and Marion County Sheriff Nick Hunter.

Campbell noted that during difficult conversations, negotiations, or other engagements of people with different perspectives, Myers displayed servant leadership not by what he said, but by how he acted.

“He, without exception, treated people with incredible dignity,” Campbell said. “He always listened first.”

Speakers universally praised Myers’ strong, yet quiet, style of leadership, his thoughtfulness and integrity. Sheriff Hunter noted that the memorial bench’s true purpose is to serve as a place for academy students to reflect on the legacy of a man he described as the best law enforcement mentor he’d ever known.

“Where this sits here at the academy, where we are shaping the next generation of law enforcement, it could not be in a better place,” Sheriff Hunter said. “This is the true definition of a legacy.”
 

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About DPSST

The mission of the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) is to pursue excellence in training and accountability for public safety professionals. DPSST certifies and licenses police, corrections, and parole and probation officers, as well as regulatory specialists, emergency telecommunicators and medical dispatchers, criminal justice instructors, private security providers, private investigators, fire service professionals, and polygraph examiners in the state of Oregon.  DPSST works with public and private safety agencies around the state to provide basic, leadership and specialized training at the 237-acre Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem and regionally throughout the state.

Oregon To Honor Fallen Law Enforcement Officers May 6, 2025 (Photo) -03/12/25

Every year, the Oregon Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony honors the state’s law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. This year’s ceremony will be held Tuesday, May 6 at 1 p.m. at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem.

The annual event commemorates the more than 190 fallen officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the state of Oregon since the 1860s. This includes law enforcement, corrections, and parole and probation officers from city, county, state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies.

The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training is proud to host the ceremony in partnership with the Oregon Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, Oregon Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), Oregon Fallen Badge Foundation, and various statewide law enforcement associations. 

DPSST Applicant Review Committee Meeting 3-26-25 -03/11/25

APPLICANT REVIEW COMMITTEE

MEETING SCHEDULED

The Applicant Review Committee of the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training will hold a regular meeting at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training located at 4190 Aumsville Hwy SE, Salem, Oregon. For further information, please contact Juan Lopez (503) 551-3167.

**To view the Applicant Review Committee's live-stream and other recorded videos, please visit DPSST’s official YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/@DPSST.

Agenda Items:

1. Introductions

2. *Committee Chair Appointment

3. Approve January 22, 2024, Meeting Minutes

4. *Carl Biggs, DPSST No. 65857; Yamhill County Department of Community Justice

    Presented by Cindy Park

5. *Lane Staley, DPSST No. 65900; DOC/ Columbia River Correctional Institution

    Presented by Cindy Park

6. Inquiry Closure Memos – Informational Only

7. Next Applicant Review Committee Meeting – April 23, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.

Administrative Announcement

This is a public meeting, subject to the public meeting law and it will be recorded. Deliberation of issues will only be conducted by Applicant Review Committee members unless permitted by the Chair. Individuals who engage in disruptive behavior that impedes official business will be asked to stop being disruptive or leave the meeting. Additional measures may be taken to have disruptive individuals removed if their continued presence poses a safety risk to the other persons in the room or makes it impossible to continue the meeting.

DPSST Board & Policy Committee Recruitment 2025 -03/10/25

2025 Board on Public Safety Standards & Training

 and Policy Committee

Open Vacancy – Recruitments

The Board on Public Safety Standards & Training (BPSST) and established Policy Committees have open vacancies looking to be filled before the end of the year! The current vacancies are as follows:

BPSST: All Board applications must be submitted through Workday.com

• One member who is a sheriff recommended to the Governor by the Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association
• One person representing non-management law enforcement 
• Representative of the collective bargaining unit that represents the largest number of individual workers in the DOC
• Public Member

Policy Committees: All Policy Committee applications must be submitted by March 20, 2025.

Private Security/Investigator Policy Committee:

• One person representing armed private security professionals
• One person representing persons who monitor alarms
• Two persons who are investigators licensed under ORS 703.430, one of whom is in private practice
• Two person who are investigators licensed under ORS 703.430, one of whom is recommended by the Oregon State Bar
• One person representing the public who has never been employed or utilized as a private security provider or investigator
• One person representing the retail industry

Telecommunications Policy Committee:

• One person representing telecommunicators

Private Investigator Subcommittee:

• Currently licensed private investigator
• Currently licensed private investigator
• Currently licensed private investigator

Fire Policy Committee:

• One person representing the state forest protection agencies and recommended by the State Forestry Department

To inquire about a vacancy, please visit Department of Public Safety Standards & Training : Board on Public Safety Standards & Training and Policy Committees : Boards and Committees : State of Oregon.

If interested in applying for a Policy Committee position, please complete and submit the Policy Committee Interest Form found under the ‘Board and Committee Resources’ section of the website listed above.

If interested in applying for a BPSST position, please complete the online application at Workday Board and Commission Opportunities. (Please note that an account may need to be created if not already in Workday)

For further information regarding the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training or its respective Policy Committees, please contact Juan Lopez at (503) 551-3167 or juan.lopez-hernandez@dpsst.oregon.gov.

Thank you,

DPSST Board & Committees Staff

Firefighters Across Oregon Successfully Complete Winter Fire School Training (Photo) -02/25/25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Feb. 25, 2025

MEDIA CONTACT:
Sam Tenney, Communications Coordinator
sam.tenney@dpsst.oregon.gov
Cell: 503-931-4069

SALEM, Ore. -- More than 200 firefighters from departments across the state participated in the Winter Fire School this past weekend at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem. The two-day event, held on February 22-23, provided both classroom instruction and hands-on training exercises designed to enhance firefighters' skills and improve their ability to protect lives, property, and natural resources within their communities.

The 20th annual event, hosted free of charge by the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST), featured eight National Fire Academy courses covering topics such as community risk reduction, incident command, leadership and company operations, and wildland urban interface operations. These specialized courses provide expert-led training in advanced topics, ensuring accessibility for departments with limited training budgets and strengthening the fire service statewide.

A highlight of the Winter Fire School was the hands-on training sessions, which allowed participants to gain experience in a variety of real-world scenarios. Firefighters engaged in training on search and rescue techniques, forcible entry, hose handling and water mapping application, and pump station application. A vehicle extrication course, led by Dallas Fire & EMS Department, provided critical experience in safely removing victims from wrecked vehicles using cars placed in various positions to simulate real-life accident scenes.

"Winter Fire School continues to be an invaluable resource for Oregon's fire service," said DPSST Fire Program Manager Kayla Ballrot. "We are proud to offer this free annual training, equipping firefighters with essential skills and knowledge they can bring back to their departments to help keep their communities safe."

Winter Fire School is strategically scheduled during a time of year when fire activity is typically lower, making it easier for firefighters to attend. It is held on the weekend to accommodate the schedules of the volunteer firefighters that comprise the bulk of Oregon's fire service. DPSST provides on-campus lodging at no cost for participants traveling over 75 miles.

DPSST's Fire Program is responsible for maintaining state fire certification standards and providing entry-level, specialized leadership and maintenance training for Oregon's fire service professionals. For more information, visit https://www.oregon.gov/dpsst/FirePrograms.

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About DPSST
The mission of the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) is to pursue excellence in training and accountability for public safety professionals. DPSST certifies and licenses police, corrections, and parole and probation officers, as well as regulatory specialists, emergency telecommunicators and medical dispatchers, criminal justice instructors, private security providers, private investigators, fire service professionals, and polygraph examiners in the state of Oregon.  DPSST works with public and private safety agencies around the state to provide basic, leadership and specialized training at the 237-acre Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem and regionally throughout the state.