New opportunity for first responders to get Bachelor's degree

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- San Diego Miramar College is launching the state’s first bachelor’s degree program designed specifically for first responders seeking careers in public safety management.

The new program, which begins this fall with about 50 students, offers a Bachelor of Science degree in public safety management. It focuses on training in emergency management, emergency medical services and law enforcement.

“We’re the first in the state focused on public safety management,” said Darren Hall, a retired Coronado fire captain who now teaches at Miramar. “In our professions in public safety, the gold standard is pursuing higher education. A bachelor’s degree is pretty standard if you want to go from captain to chief or above.”

Hall said the degree is aimed at preparing first responders for leadership positions in management, communications and human resources — roles that often require higher education for advancement.

Students must already hold an associate degree before enrolling. The bachelor’s program takes about two years to complete and costs roughly $5,000. Coursework combines online instruction with hands-on training, including 3D simulations of emergencies such as brushfires.

Destiny Garcia, a former Riverside County Fire dispatcher and mother of two, is among the first students enrolled.

“I’m hoping to be fulfilled knowing that I worked hard to get my degree,” Garcia said. “Whether it be with the police department or fire department, I want to know I’m going in as prepared as I can be.”

College officials say the program will provide first responders with the skills they need to move into higher-paying jobs while strengthening emergency response across the state.