The Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) is an agency of the government of the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

 responsible for establishing and enforcing minimum standards and providing training for public safety officers and staff, including law enforcement and fire fighting personnel within the state. It operates a central academy in Salem, Oregon

Salem, Oregon

Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...

 and conducts or certifies field training programs throughout the state.

In 1961, the Board on Police Standards and Training (BPST) was created by the Oregon Legislative Assembly

Oregon Legislative Assembly

The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...

 and signed into law by Governor Mark Hatfield

Mark Hatfield

Mark Odom Hatfield was an American politician and educator from the state of Oregon. A Republican, he served for 30 years as a United States Senator from Oregon, and also as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee...

. The action was taken in part in response to the work of the Oregon-Washington Lawman's Association, a voluntary coalition of police professionals formed to address a need its members saw for more rigorous qualifications for Oregon law enforcement officers. In 1968, the Board's certification and training standards were made mandatory. Over the years the department's program was expanded to include both sworn and classified personnel at every level of service in the law enforcement and fire protection professions. Its central academy was opened in March, 1988.

External links

• Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (official website)