Public Safety Management
19 courses · San Diego Miramar College · 2026-2027 Catalog
PSMA 401 Foundations in Public Safety Management Practices
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course focuses on public safety organizations and the functions of management within these organizations. It examines the history, current forces, and trends facing public safety managers. The history, development, growth, and future of various interdependent public safety entities is examined from an interdisciplinary perspective. Topics include an overview of contemporary practices, finance, legal issues, public policies, leadership trends, ethics and diversity, group dynamics, and human resources in the field of public safety management. Course work includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) IS-271.A: Anticipating Hazardous Weather & Community Risk which provides emergency managers and other decision makers with background information about weather, natural hazards, and preparedness. This training includes, weather basics, weather forecasting, threats analysis and hazards planning, fact sheets for weather and non-weather-related hazards, warning partnership information, human behavior and community response. This course is intended for upper division students majoring in Public Safety Management.
PSMA 405 Contemporary Public Safety Practices
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course is an investigation of contemporary strategic public safety practices. The goal is to provide Emergency Management (EM) leaders with skills critical to engage the leadership challenges associated with the local emergency management organization and the immediate local community. Emphasis is on best practices generally associated with successful organizations and applying them to the field of public safety. Topics include the role of hazard and risk management, quality control, and customer service in public safety organizations. Discussion also covers contemporary views of public safety integration and consolidation, as well as public and private partnerships. Course work includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) IS-2200: Basic Emergency Operations Center Functions designed to introduce the role, design, and function of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the supportive relationship as a National Incident Management System (NIMS) Command and Coordination component of the Multiagency Coordination System. This course is intended for upper division students majoring in Public Safety Management.
PSMA 410 Public Safety Finance
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course explores the financial issues facing Emergency Management Directors employed in public safety management. Emphasis is on practical applications to facilitate informed discussions and decision making for appropriate emergency preparedness. Focuses on the role of the financial needs in public safety government positions: financial analysis, forecasting, planning, and control; asset management; capital budgeting; and identifying financial responsibilities for local, tribal, state, territorial and federal government partners identified for emergency preparedness. Course work includes the California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI) G611F EOC Section Overview Finance / Admin course requirements. This course is intended for upper division students majoring in Public Safety Management.
PSMA 415 Public Safety Legal Issues and Public Policy
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course is an analysis of the law as it relates to the management of public safety organizations. Principles of legal obligations, limitations, liabilities, and immunities are examined and discussed, both in general terms and, where applicable, in terms of how they differ in the governmental organization, treatment of public employers and employees. The objective is to develop an appreciation of the legal responsibilities of a public safety administrator within local, tribal, state, territorial and federal government partners. Course work includes the California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI) Emergency Management Concepts and G557 Rapid Needs Workshop focusing on plans and procedures for responding to the initial four hours of a disaster. Content includes prevent planning, intelligence gathering, and situational awareness distribution. This course is intended for upper division students majoring in Public Safety Management.
PSMA 420 Human Resources in Public Safety Management
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course provides students with a basic knowledge of the human resources requirements related to the roles and responsibilities of an manager including developing plans for providing employee accommodation, developing hiring procedures, establishing personnel assignments, describing methods of facilitating and encouraging professional development, developing an ongoing education training program, developing promotion procedures, developing proposals for improving employee benefits, and developing a measurable accident and injury prevention program. This course is intended for upper division students majoring in Public Safety Management.
PSMA 425 Strategic Planning in Public Safety Management
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course is designed to ensure public safety managers have properly prepared for all elements in the emergency planning process. The course is designed to examine current strategic plans for public safety organizations and identify contemporary strategic issues facing the public sector. Focus includes creating organizational change and provides a troubleshooting process for organizations to reduce barriers for successful strategic plan desired outcomes. Every year, the United States experiences more severe weather than any other country in the world. In order to reduce deaths, injuries, and property losses, emergency managers must work closely with the NWS and the news media to provide effective warnings that can be received and understood by people at risk. The course explores social dimensions of warning response; developing effective warning messages; developing an effective community warning process; and working with the news media to create a weather warning partnership. Course work includes the G191: Emergency Operations Center/Incident Command System Interface , G611P: EOC Section Overview: Planning and Intelligence and G272 Warning Coordination, G358: Evacuation and Re-Entry Planning. This course is intended for upper division students majoring in Public Safety Management.
PSMA 430 Public Safety Leadership and Communications
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course analyzes leadership theories, skills, and techniques for communication used in public safety management. The objective is to define and explain basic concepts of leadership; analyze personal leadership knowledge, skills, and abilities; and evaluate leadership performance in the current public safety environment. Topics include leadership theories and styles, roles of the leader in the emergency management environment, including planning, organizing, leading, controlling and communications necessary in a complex emergent environment. Emphasis includes transferable leadership traits for public safety managers deployed in a unified response to large scale disaster or community crisis. Course work includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) IS-247.B: Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) for Alert Originators and California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI) L0105: Public Information and Warning courses. This course increases awareness of the benefits of using Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) for effective alerts and warnings; skill to draft more appropriate, effective, and accessible alert and warning messages; the importance of training, testing, and exercising with IPAWS. This course is intended for upper division students majoring in Public Safety Management.
PSMA 435 Native American Relations for Public Safety
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course provides emergency management/response personnel, tribal government employees, and tribal leaders with a deeper understanding of emergency operations. Special emphasis is placed on the implementation of an integrated emergency management and operations during an expanded emergency. Emphasis focuses on the foundation for reducing or preventing potential losses from natural or other hazards with an understanding of reducing potential losses from natural or other hazards using mitigation opportunities and techniques, examples of mitigation success stories, and an overview of available Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Mitigation Programs. Primary emphasis is on helping tribal emergency managers implement a Continuity of Operations program to ensure continuity of community essential functions across a wide range of emergencies and events. Topics include legal basis for continuity, continuity planning, determining essential functions, essential records management, and pan flu implications for continuity operations. Overall course content aims to assist emergency managers and tribal leaders understand how effective emergency management can improve the sustainability of their tribal community and better protect tribal citizens, lands, culture, and sovereignty for tribal nations. Coursework includes the Federal Emergency Management L0583 Emergency Management Overview for Tribal Leaders course. This course is intended for upper division students majoring in Public Safety Management.
PSMA 440 Whole Community Approach – Government Partners, Non-Profit and Allied Organizations in Public Safety
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course is designed to analyze the “Whole Community Approach” with focus on the relations among the levels of government and the connections between governments, non-profit organizations and faith-based organizations recognized in emergency preparedness. Topics concentrate on development and alternatives in shared responsibilities for funding and providing services maximizing relationships between local, tribal, state, territorial, and federal government in partnerships with local community resources. Emphasis includes engagement of the community resources ensuring inclusion for children, individuals with disabilities and others with access and functional needs, those from religious, racial, and ethnically diverse backgrounds, and people with limited English proficiency needs are met during an emergency or community crisis. Students will understand the community elements of an emergency plan in action. Coursework includes the California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI) G197: Integrating Access & Functional Needs into Emergency Management and G108: Community Mass Care and Emergency Assistance courses. This course is intended for upper division students majoring in Public Safety Management.
PSMA 445 Global Perspectives in Emergency Management
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course examines global issues for public safety managers including frequency of disasters, future threats, impact of climate change on communities, binational border issues and enforcement that impact emergency management domestically and internationally in the government, non-profit, and private sectors. Emphasis is focused on policies, regulations and politics surrounding future challenges communities will likely encounter in the 21st century. This course is intended for upper division students majoring in Public Safety Management.
PSMA 450 Disaster Planning and Control, Recovery in Emergency Management
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course examines concepts and principles of community risk assessment, planning and response to fires and natural and human-caused disasters, including the NIMS Incident Command Systems (ICS), mutual-aid and automatic response, training and preparedness, communications, civil disturbances, terrorist threats/incidents, hazardous materials planning, mass casualty incidents, earthquake preparedness, and disaster mitigation and recovery. Emphasis includes inclusive policy and strategy-level decision-making, throughout the disaster cycle. Course work includes the California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI) 235: Emergency Planning and G205: Recovery from Disaster: The Local Community Role courses. This course is intended for upper division students majoring in Public Safety Management.
PSMA 455 Community Risk Reduction for Fire and Emergency Services in Emergency Management
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course provides a theoretical framework for the understanding of the ethical, sociological, organizational, political, and legal components of community risk reduction, and a methodology for the development of a comprehensive community risk-reduction plan. The course objective is to empower students with the knowledge of how to prevent, reduce and mitigate community risk. Course work includes the California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI) G393: Mitigation for Emergency Managers course. This course is intended for upper division students majoring in Public Safety Management.
PSMA 460 Foundations in Emergency Medical Services
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course is an overview of the design and operation of Emergency Medical Systems (EMS), delivery of services and the echelons of care. The history of EMS, the interface of public and private organizations, and review of the various personnel who comprise these systems will be examined in relation to their impact on the health care delivery system. Analyzing the role of local, state, federal, tribal governments and private for profit corporations in delivery of emergency medical services in thoroughly examined. Because EMS is both an evolving system and a technical field, change is constantly occurring both in the clinical aspects of patient care and in the delivery of EMS services. This course examines the changes in EMS over the past few years including the significant changes in the scope of practice and education of EMS providers, reimbursement for EMS services as the result of the Affordable Care Act and federal legislation and federal agency activity related to EMS. The course explores an in depth overview of changes in disaster response, with a special emphasis on National Incident Management System integration and the expanding role of prehospital providers as an integrated part of the health care system including the role of the community paramedic. This course is intended for upper division students majoring in Public Safety Management.
PSMA 465 Management of Emergency Medical Services
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This is an upper-level baccalaureate course for students interested in the practice and principles of emergency medical services systems management and the processes that contribute to the effectiveness of day-to-day operations within an EMS organization. This course introduces the EMS professional to topics that include government structure, strategic planning, injury prevention, risk management and safety, customer service, human resources management, financial management, fleet management, career development, quality management, data collection and research, labor relations, and special operations. This course is intended for upper division students majoring in Public Safety Management.
PSMA 470 Legal, Political, and Regulatory Environment of Emergency Medical Services
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course introduces the EMS professional to the legal aspects of emergency medical services. Students explore issues in malpractice, consent and refusal of treatment; OSHA; employment issues; and risk management. EMS students gain insights into the legal liabilities in emergency medical services. A thorough examination of the following topics are analyzed including the basic framework of the United States legal system, negligence, history of EMS law, safety considerations, staffing, compensation and benefits, operational laws, funding laws, legal pitfalls of discipline, terminations, layoffs, records retention, national EMS representation, professional organizations and lobbying for change. This course is intended for upper division students majoring in Public Safety Management.
PSMA 475 Administration, Public Policy, and Public Relations in Law Enforcement
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course is designed to evaluate the principles and applications of police administration, discretion, accountability, affirmative action, public relations, new technologies, and changing constitutional criminal procedures. The course examines crime prevention strategies that target the underlying local problems that generate recurring offenses. This includes analyzing the results of problem-oriented projects centered targeting high-crime places, deterring high-activity, repeat offenders and protecting victims of repeat offenses. The course interprets how to improve crime analysis, measuring program effectiveness, and securing productive partnerships with community residents and academic researchers. This course is intended for upper division students majoring in Public Safety Management.
PSMA 480 Psychology and the Law
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
This course will use psychological concepts and methods to aid in the understanding of how psychology intersects with the legal system. Topics include theories of criminal behavior, ethics of forensic psychology, victimization, law enforcement, the jury trial, witnesses, verdict and sentencing, mental illness, corrections, and family law. This course is intended for upper division students majoring in Public Safety Management.
PSMA 485 Advanced Criminal Investigation for Law Enforcement
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture
Students learn advanced applications of the principles of criminal investigation including the analysis of investigative techniques, criminal patterns and modus operandi, interviewing and interrogation strategies, collection and management of evidence, surveillance, and crime scene investigation. The course covers theories, philosophies and concepts related to suppression of crime. Students learn practical approaches to evidence identification; documentation of the location of evidence; crime scene sketching; and the collection and handling of evidence from the crime scene to the crime laboratory, and to presentation in court. The course includes lab exercises designed to reinforce important investigative skills. This course is intended for upper division students majoring in Public Safety Management.
PSMA 490 Applied Research Project in Public Safety Management
- Units
- 5
- Hours
- 48 - 54 hours lecture/96-108 hours lab
This course is an intensive capstone study of public safety management that integrates knowledge gained through previous coursework and builds on that foundation through integrative analysis, practical application, work-based learning opportunities applying designed to apply critical thinking. This course is designed to assist students in developing their ability to utilize applied research techniques in public safety settings. Emphasis will be placed on problem identification, the collection and analysis of primary data, and writing a formatted research report. Emphasis is on local, regional challenges of current and future issues in Public Safety Management. The course aims to integrate leadership and management concepts for current and future emergency management, public safety members and first responders. This capstone course is designed to integrate and synthesize the student’s entire course of study in the Bachelor of Science: Public Safety Management Program. Opportunities include work-based learning opportunities for specific project needs with local emergency management community partnerships. This course is intended for upper division students majoring in Public Safety Management.