Public Safety or Public Health as a Career Path?
Public safety and Public Health Career Path professionals share many similarities. Both fields strive to protect people from external threats and natural disasters, with their careers focused on doing just that – protecting others. Though often discussed together, their relationship is reciprocal; nonetheless, these fields remain distinct with distinct goals. It is essential to recognize that public safety and public health are distinct fields but work towards the same end goal.
We will describe what it’s like to work in public safety and public health, as well as where these careers intersect.
What is Public Health?
Public health is the science that safeguards and improves the wellbeing of individuals, communities and entire populations. Its primary focus lies in preventing illness and disability, increasing access to healthcare services, educating others on health topics and creating strategies that aim to enhance quality of life for all.
What is Public Safety?
Public safety refers to the protection of individuals and communities from external threats like crime or disasters. This function typically falls under government agencies that aim to shield Americans from potential danger.
Comparing Public Safety versus Public Health Careers
Public health careers focus on protecting people’s health and well-being, while public safety careers provide security to our communities. There is much overlap between these two fields; both share a mission to serve society’s greater good; however, each career path has its own distinct approach in fulfilling this responsibility.
Public health professionals typically focus on healthcare and public health. They work in hospitals, research centers, and laboratories to track, prevent and respond to diseases while advocating for a more healthy world. Public health workers strive not only to provide healthcare but also strive to improve overall wellbeing; such as ending gun violence in America or implementing campaigns to reduce climate change impacts, water pollution issues or mental illness rates. Ultimately their work strives to bring about positive changes that make our world a better place to live, work and play.
Examples of careers in public health include:
Health Educator
- Community Health Worker
- Health Promotion Specialist
- Public Health Services Manager
Nutritionist
- Health Inspector or Sanitarian
- Specialist in Child Development
- Child Welfare Specialist
- Health Education Coordinator
- Patient Advocate
- Epidemiologist
- Disaster and Emergency Specialist
- Public Health Analyst/Researcher
- Director of Public Health
Biostatistician
Security is at the core of what public safety officers do. Their role involves preventing crime and protecting communities from external threats, such as border security against drug trafficking or cyber-attacks; sentencing or rehabilitation for criminals; investigating terrorist or criminal acts, responding to emergencies within communities like natural disasters or violence, etc. Public Health Career Path safety professionals strive to save people’s lives and provide a secure place to live for those they serve.
Examples of public safety careers in modern society include:
- Officer of the Police
- Security Guard
- Parole Officer
- Corrections Officer
- First Responder
- Notification of an Emergency
- Computer Security Specialist
- Customs and Border Protection Agent
- DEA Agent
- FBI Agent
- Fire Science Investigator
- Transportation Security Agent
- Cyber Crime Investigator
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Degree Pathways in Public Health and Public Safety: Which Is Better?
Public safety and public health are excellent careers for those seeking to make a difference in the world or the lives of others. You may be wondering, “How do I get a job in these fields?”
Job requirements for public safety and public health professions will differ depending on the title. Typically, a bachelor’s degree is the best place to start when applying for these positions.
A bachelor’s degree in Public Health can provide the perfect platform to launch a career. It will equip you with the necessary knowledge and skillset for success, covering topics such as health behavior, promotion and epidemiology. Furthermore, this course covers occupational health, injury prevention, environmental health issues, occupational safety concerns – plus much more! This course will prepare you to work in fields such as health education or research on public health topics; additionally if pursuing master’s level studies is your goal then this course will prepare for graduate study at this level too!
A bachelor’s degree is necessary for a career in Public Safety. While not necessary for law enforcement positions, having this degree can open doors to leadership roles or government agencies. Goodwin University’s bachelor’s degree offers comprehensive coverage of today’s criminal justice system and public safety, including criminology/corrections, public policy analysis/risk reduction strategies, investigative reporting techniques – the list goes on!
Your decision between public safety and public health ultimately rests with you: Do you want to promote good health in communities that are suffering? Or are you simply striving to be a protector, guaranteeing your community is safe? Can you effectively respond to emergencies and prevent disease outbreaks?
