LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) – Finding and maintaining public safety employees isn’t always a walk in the park. Lancaster County decided to get over 20 agencies together for a career fair at the county’s public safety training center.

“Public safety always needs people,” Rob Walker, the chief of operations for Warwick Community Ambulance, said. “It’s a never ending journey.”

Sawyer Morgan is from Tower City in Schuylkill County. Public safety is his calling.

“For me, it gives me a sense of belonging,” Morgan said.

Morgan just graduated from Slippery Rock with a criminal justice degree, and he’s looking to become a police officer.

“I’d be willing to move to Lancaster to work in one of the police departments and everything, but PSP is definitely the final goal,” he said.

Morgan was in luck. Pennsylvania State Police was on the scene.

“We’re looking to speak with anybody who has an interest in law enforcement,” State Trooper Bertrum James said.

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Even for those who have an itch to help their community, finding the right position can sometimes be a challenge.

“I actually just talked to somebody who’s a CTC student who was here and said ‘I was interested in EMS when I first started and realized that maybe that wasn’t for me,'” Walker said. “I think she’s going to take a job now with the Lancaster jail so it’s a great fit.”

Some potential job seekers already have an understanding of public safety.

“My father’s actually a retired police officer,” Vincent Tortoriello said. “I have a lot of familiarity with this type of environment, this industry.”

That includes 15 years of public safety service for Leola’s Tortoriello. He’s worked on the business side of things. This career field opened a new door.

“I kind of was here just like looking to see what opportunities there may be in that regard and potentially explore another career change,” Tortoriello said.

Following in his father’s footsteps isn’t out of the question.

“I was talking to some of the officers here, and I really thought I had aged myself out of being able to do anything different,” Tortoriello said. “It turns out that I’m not. That opens up a lot of new opportunities for me.”

If you are interested in a public safety career, reach out to the local agencies you want to work for, or you can call the county government office for help.

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