Ore. Dept. of Public Safety Standards and Training

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News Release

DPSST Board & Policy Committee Recruitment 2025 -06/24/25

2025 Board on Public Safety Standards & Training

 and Policy Committee

Open Vacancy – Recruitments

The Board on Public Safety Standards & Training (BPSST) and established Policy Committees have open vacancies looking to be filled before the end of the year! The current vacancies are as follows:

BPSST: All Board applications must be submitted through Workday.com by July 7, 2025.

  • One member who is a sheriff recommended to the Governor by the Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association
  • One member representing Non-Management Law Enforcement 
  • One member who is a representative of the collective bargaining unit that represents the largest number of individual workers in the DOC
  • One member of the Oregon State Fire Fighters Council recommended to the Governor by the executive body of the council
  • Public Member

Policy Committees: All Policy Committee applications must be submitted by June 20, 2025.

Private Security/Investigator Policy Committee:

  • One person representing the retail industry
  • One person representing persons who monitor alarms
  • One person who is a private investigator licensed under ORS 703.430, and is recommended by the Oregon State Bar (will also serve on the PI Sub-Committee upon appointment)
  • One person representing the public who has never been employed or utilized as a private security provider or investigator

Telecommunications Policy Committee:

  • One person representing recommended by and representing the Oregon State Police

Private Investigator Subcommittee:

  • Currently licensed private investigator

To inquire about a vacancy, please visit Department of Public Safety Standards & Training : Board on Public Safety Standards & Training and Policy Committees : Boards and Committees : State of Oregon.

If interested in applying for a Policy Committee position, please complete and submit the Policy Committee Interest Form found under the ‘Board and Committee Resources’ section of the website listed above.

If interested in applying for a BPSST position, please complete the online application at Workday Board and Commission Opportunities. (Please note that an account may need to be created if not already in Workday)

For further information regarding the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training or its respective Policy Committees, please contact Juan Lopez at (503) 551-3167 or juan.lopez-hernandez@dpsst.oregon.gov.

Thank you,

DPSST Board & Committees Staff

Fallen Firefighters Honored During Annual Remembrance Ceremony (Photo) -06/17/25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2025

MEDIA CONTACT:
Sam Tenney, Communications Coordinator
sam.tenney@dpsst.oregon.gov
503-931-4069

Fallen Oregon firefighters honored during annual remembrance ceremony in Salem

SALEM, Ore. — A ceremony held Tuesday, June 17 commemorated Oregon fire service who have died in the line of duty. The Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony honored the brave individuals who gave their lives to protect communities and natural resources around the state.

The annual event is held at the Oregon Public Safety Academy, site of the Oregon Fire Fighters Memorial. The memorial commemorates 182 fire service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice since 1881, including career, volunteer, wildland and structural fire fighters. 

Tuesday’s ceremony remembered three fallen fire service members whose names were recently added to the memorial: Benjamin Sapper of the U.S. Forest Service, Nicholas Berg of Mist-Birkenfeld Rural Fire Protection District, and Larry Dean of Salem Fire Department.

In his keynote address, Chief Benjamin Stange of Polk County Fire District #1 spoke of the enduring legacies of the firefighters whose names are engraved on the wall, ensuring their survivors that they will never be forgotten, and their memories will be synonymous with service and sacrifice.

“Their names will be used to send greater messages, to communicate commitment, to set expectations, and to inspire,” he said. “I promise you this: their service, their impact, their inspiration to the fire service will continue.”

Firefighter Benjamin Charles Sapper was killed in an on-duty vehicle accident near Powers on Aug. 4, 2023. Firefighter Sapper was a first-year firefighter working on the Gold Beach Ranger District hand crew for the Forest Service. Originally from Boulder, Colorado, 21-year-old Firefighter Sapper had recently obtained his bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics and was looking forward to starting graduate school at the University of British Columbia.

Mist-Birkenfeld Rural Fire Protection District Division Chief Nicholas “Nick” Berg passed away in his home on June 6, 2024 after assisting in setting up a draft site on his private farm for a drill night training session the night before. Division Chief Berg was a loyal Mist-Birkenfeld RFPD volunteer for 47 years and leaves behind his wife, Ann, four children, four grandchildren, as well as his sister and many nieces and nephews.

Retired Salem Fire Department Captain Larry Dean died on Sept. 13, 2024, after battling occupational esophageal cancer. Captain Dean served with the Salem Fire Department from 1987 to 2018, during which time he worked on several specialty teams and held various leadership roles. He is survived by his wife, Kaare, his three children, two grandchildren, mother, sister, and two brothers.

The ceremony was attended by Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and public safety professionals from throughout the state. Governor Kotek spoke in tribute to the fallen, heralding their service and sacrifice and acknowledging the grief felt by those they left behind.

“Let us hold their surviving family members, friends, and colleagues in our hearts and thoughts and prayers,” she said. “We should share their stories every opportunity that we have, because to do so allows their spirits and stories to live on and serve as inspiration to all of us.”

The ceremony is a significant event that the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) hosts annually in partnership with the Oregon Fire Service Honor Guard. For more information on the Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial, including the names of the fallen, history of the memorial, and the Oregon Fire Service Honor Guard’s involvement, please visit DPSST’s Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial website at https://www.oregon.gov/dpsst/Memorials/Firefighters/Pages/default.aspx.

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About DPSST
 

The mission of the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) is to pursue excellence in training and accountability for public safety professionals.

DPSST certifies and licenses police, corrections, and parole and probation officers, as well as regulatory specialists, emergency telecommunicators and medical dispatchers, criminal justice instructors, private security providers, private investigators, fire service professionals, and polygraph examiners in the state of Oregon.  DPSST works with public and private safety agencies around the state to provide basic, leadership and specialized training at the 237-acre Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem and regionally throughout the state.

Attached Media Files: Oregon fire service members who died in the line of duty are commemorated during Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem on June 17, 2025., Members of the Portland Fire Fighters Pipes and Drums process into the Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem on June 17, 2025., Oregon Governor Tina Kotek speaks to family members of fallen firefighters before the start of the Oregon Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem on June 17, 2025., Color guard members prepare to post colors at the start of the Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem on June 17, 2025., A color guard member salutes during the the Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem on June 17, 2025., 2025_Firefighter_Memorial_06.jpg, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek speaks during the Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem on June 17, 2025., Chief Benjamin Stange of Polk County Fire District #1 delivers the keynote address during the Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem on June 17, 2025., Captain Gavin Mitchell, left, and Deputy Forest Supervisor Jacob Winn of the U.S. Forest Service deliver remarks honoring Firefighter Benjamin Sapper during the Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem on June 17, 2025. Firefighter Sapper died in the line of duty near Powers, Oregon on Aug. 4, 2023., Chief Joe Kaczenski, left, of Mist-Birkenfeld RFPD, and Retired Chief Steve Sharek of Clatskanie RFPD speak in honor of Division Chief Nicholas Berg of Mist-Birkenfeld RFPD during the Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem on June 17, 2025., Chief David Gerboth of the Salem Fire Department speaks in hnor of Retired Captain Larry Dean during the Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem on June 17, 2025., An Oregon Fire Service Honor Guard member stands guard during the Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem on June 17, 2025., Color Guard members kneel to commemorate fallen firefighters during Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem on June 17, 2025., Oregon Fire Service Honor Guard members prepare to process with a staff carrying ribbons representing fallen firefighters during the Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem on June 17, 2025., Flags line the entrance to the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem for the Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony on June 17, 2025. Each flag bears the name of one of the 182 firefighters who have died in the line of duty in the state, with one extra flag placed to honor all fallen firefighters.,

Oregon Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony To Honor Fallen Fire Service Members (Photo) -06/12/25

MEDIA ADVISORY
June 12, 2025

MEDIA CONTACT:
Sam Tenney, Communications Coordinator

Department of Public Safety Standards and Training
sam.tenney@dpsst.oregon.gov
503-931-4069

Oregon Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony to honor fallen fire service members

The annual Oregon Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony, which honors the state’s fire service members who have died in the line of duty, will take place at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17, at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem. 

During an engraving ceremony held June 11, an honor guard stood watch as the names of three fallen firefighters were added to the memorial: Division Chief Nicholas A. Berg of the Mist-Birkenfeld Rural Fire Protection District, Firefighter Benjamin Charles Sapper of the United States Forest Service, and Retired Captain Larry Damon Dean of the Salem Fire Department.

Division Chief Berg, Firefighter Sapper, and Captain Dean will be honored along with 179 previously fallen fire service members during the ceremony at the academy, located at 4190 Aumsville Highway SE.

The ceremony is a significant event that the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) hosts annually in partnership with the Oregon Fire Service Honor Guard. For more information on the Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial, please visit DPSST’s Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial website at https://www.oregon.gov/dpsst/Memorials/Firefighters/Pages/default.aspx.

###

About DPSST
 

The mission of the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) is to pursue excellence in training and accountability for public safety professionals.

DPSST certifies and licenses police, corrections, and parole and probation officers, as well as regulatory specialists, emergency telecommunicators and medical dispatchers, criminal justice instructors, private security providers, private investigators, fire service professionals, and polygraph examiners in the state of Oregon.  DPSST works with public and private safety agencies around the state to provide basic, leadership and specialized training at the 237-acre Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem and regionally throughout the state.

DPSST Applicant Review Committee Meeting 6-25-2025 -06/12/25

APPLICANT REVIEW COMMITTEE

MEETING SCHEDULED

Notice of Regular Meeting

The Applicant Review Committee of the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training will hold a regular meeting at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training located at 4190 Aumsville Hwy SE, Salem, Oregon. For further information, please contact Juan Lopez (503) 551-3167.

**To view the Applicant Review Committee's live-stream and other recorded videos, please visit DPSST’s official YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/@DPSST.

Agenda Items:

1. Introductions

2. Approve May 21, 2025, Meeting Minutes

3. *Robert Gibney, DPSST No. 66390; Polk County Sheriff's Office

    Presented by Cindy Park

4. Next Applicant Review Committee Meeting – July 23, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.

Administrative Announcement

This is a public meeting, subject to the public meeting law and it will be recorded. Deliberation of issues will only be conducted by Applicant Review Committee members unless permitted by the Chair. Individuals who engage in disruptive behavior that impedes official business will be asked to stop being disruptive or leave the meeting. Additional measures may be taken to have disruptive individuals removed if their continued presence poses a safety risk to the other persons in the room or makes it impossible to continue the meeting.