Technical Studies - Public Safety Leadership
- Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.)
Program Snapshot
Your Learning Options
In-Person, Hybrid
60-63 Credit Hours
Estimated Time to Complete
2 year (5 full-time semesters)
In-State Tuition Per Credit Hour
$176.00 | Calculate your costs
Why Public Safety Leadership?
Elevate your career in Fire and EMS in a program designed for individuals ready to step into leadership roles.
- Train in a program that prepares EMTs, Paramedics, and Firefighters for supervisory and management positions in Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
- Learn to develop strategic decision-making skills for crisis management and emergency response coordination.
- Position yourself for a future with broader career opportunities in EMS administration, fire departments, and emergency management agencies.
- Accelerate your degree completion with 29+ credits awarded for your prior learning and experience as a Paramedic and/or Firefighter/EMT.
Paying for College
We are committed to using all of the available funds to help you gain access to a college education. In fact, more than 91% of our students graduate without any educational debt. In 2023, Reynolds Community College students received over $21 million dollars in grants, loans, work-study and scholarships with the average aid awarded totaling over $4,000 per student.
Payment plans are offered to break down tuition payments. Textbook Assistance and Laptop Lending Programs are also available. Be sure to explore all the types of financial aid available as well!
Why Reynolds?
We are more than a community college.
Reynolds is the key that unlocks the door to your academic and professional success. Here you will find a safe place to start. We will help you explore, dream, succeed, try, and try again. Our amazing faculty and highly personalized advisors, your Reynolds Navigators, are well known for guiding you to discover that "aha moment.” That means an outstanding college experience, less debt, more freedom, and a solid start on your future.
Earn multiple certifications such as Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Medical Life Support (AMLS), Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS), and fire-related credentials. Gain advanced medical and fire science training, deepening expertise in paramedic care and fire operations. Master incident command and public safety policy, enhancing disaster response and risk assessment skills.
Advance to a career of leadership roles in public safety—with increased salary prospects over entry-level positions. Qualifies graduates for specialized roles in fire investigation, EMS administration, and emergency preparedness.
Degree is portable across public safety sectors, including government agencies, private EMS services, and hospital-based emergency services. Positions graduates for long-term career growth in Fire and EMS leadership roles.
Class Highlights
EMS 249 - Paramedic Capstone Internship
Explore summative evaluation of the Paramedic student in the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains.
FST 121 - Principles of Fire and Emergency Services Safety and Survival
Learn basic principles and history related to national firefighter life safety initiatives, focusing on the need for cultural and behavior change.
BUS 111 - Principles of Supervision I
Study the fundamentals of supervision. Covers aspects of responsibilities, leadership, job management, work improvement, training, orientation, and performance evaluation.
Program Roadmap
Get all the details on our Technical Studies, Public Safety Leadership program, including class sequences, admission requirements, financial considerations, and more.
Additional Program Information
PURPOSE: The AAS in Technical Studies provides flexible alternatives for meeting student and employer needs and features a flexible curriculum design to meet specific educational and employment goals. The Technical Studies AAS in Public Safety Leadership is designed for individuals aspiring to leadership roles within all of public safety to include both Fire and EMS. This program provides a comprehensive education that combines advanced EMS skills (Paramedic) with leadership, management, and operational strategies to prepare graduates for supervisory and administrative positions in Fire and EMS.
OCCUPATIONAL / PROGRAM OBJECTIVES: The Technical Studies AAS in Public Safety Leadership prepares graduates to excel in leadership roles within the Fire and EMS profession. The program objectives focus on developing the skills, knowledge, and competencies required to manage EMS operations, lead diverse teams, and contribute to the advancement of emergency medical care and public safety leadership.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS: General college curricular admission. Applicants must meet the requirements for admission to credit-level coursework established by the college.
PLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS: Students who do not demonstrate readiness for college-level English will be required to select appropriate EDE 10 or ENG 111 /EDE 11 coursework in consultation with an advisor. Students who do not demonstrate readiness for college-level math will be required to select appropriate MDE coursework in consultation with an advisor.
COMPUTER COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS: Students will receive the required computer competencies for this program after completing SDV 101 - Orientation to Health Science.
PROGRAM SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS: In addition to the general college curriculum admissions requirements, the student must possess a current Virginia EMT Certification, a valid CPR certification from either the American Heart Association-BLS Provider or the American Red Cross - Professional Rescuer/BLS and/or VA Paramedic Certification. In compliance with the Virginia State Board of Health and Virginia EMS regulations (12 VAC 5-31-1200 and 12 VAC 5-31-1460), students wishing to register for Paramedic courses with an EMS prefix must be at least 18 years of age at the time of enrollment into the program. Students younger than 18 are eligible to enroll in EMS 100, EMS 111 and EMS 120 if not already an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).
Paramedic students enrolled in Paramedic-CSC, will be eligible to enroll in Technical Studies AAS in Public Safety Leadership. Students must meet with an EMS Program Advisor for additional advising and enrollment into the Technical Studies AAS degree. Course enrollment permission is required for EMS prefix courses.
The average length of this program is 2-6 semesters depending on prior certification credit. All students must maintain VA EMT Certification and AHA/ARC CPR Certification throughout entirety of program. Experiential credit may be provided for individuals with EMS and/or Fire Certifications.
FUNCTIONAL SKILL REQUIREMENTS: Please refer to the Paramedic CSC and/or Emergency Medical Technician CSC and Fire Science CSC for all program requirements.
For a complete list of BLS and ALS Functional Job descriptions, please visit https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/content/uploads/sites/23/2016/05/TR-14A-ALS-Functional-Job-Description-1-2-20.pdf.
PROGRAM NOTES: This curriculum allows the student to select (1) or (2) career studies certificates, with additional courses to create a coherent plan of study in a technical field of the student’s choice. The student must work with an EMS advisor(s) to develop their plan of study.
