From helicopters thundering above Taylor Courtyard to heavy-duty equipment rolling through the breezeway and the sound of sirens blaring at noon, it’s hard to miss the O’Neill School’s annual Public Safety Career Day. This year, the sights and sounds of public safety will arrive on campus on Wednesday, September 25, from noon to 3 p.m.
For the past 13 years, the O’Neill School has gathered dozens of public safety agencies in one location with one goal in mind: connect students to careers. Yet the event also serves as an opportunity for students and the public alike to meet and build relationships with public safety agencies and officials.
Whether you’re ready to hand out resumes, want ideas for a future career, or have questions about how these agencies keep communities safe, you can make connections at Public Safety Career Day to help you in the years to come.
Just ask Payton Van Kalker. She landed an internship thanks to Public Safety Career Day. She worked with a parole field team for the Indiana Department of Correction to serve warrants, search homes, and look for those who may have violated the terms of their parole.
“PSCD has a huge impact on those wanting to pursue a career in law enforcement or public safety,” Van Kalker says. “There are so many agencies and individuals there to help students make connections and answer questions. I don’t think I would have been able to find information about my internship had I not made the connection I did that day.”
WHAT YOU’LL SEE:
Agencies bring out some serious equipment for this event. There will be police helicopters, bomb squad trucks and gear, fire engines, ladder trucks, ambulances, the IMPD Mounted Patrol, ambulances, first-aid training equipment, and—one of the most popular stops—bomb and drug-sniffing dogs, including IUPD’s K9 Indy.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
As you move from booth to booth, you can get hands-on with the equipment, trying on gear and seeing exactly what agencies use to respond to situations. You’ll also get to network with representatives from more than 40 local, state, and federal agencies. Many have internship and employment opportunities available for students right now.
Remember: each of these agencies employs a variety of positions—from boots on the ground to support staff, such as communications, accounting, information technology, and more—so students from a variety of majors can find opportunities and make connections at this event.
WHO’S COMING (SO FAR):
Before you go, get a plan together. Decide which agencies you want to speak with, have your resume and elevator speech ready, and know what opportunities you could be interested in. Here’s a look at which agencies have already RSVP’d to attend so far:
