Trending Topics

From battlefront to homefront: Transitioning to civilian first responder roles

At MCON 2024, veterans shared their experiences transitioning from military service to roles in law enforcement, EMS and firefighting

By Police1 Staff

LAS VEGAS — For the second year in a row, MCON brought together members of the veteran community for a weekend of celebration. This year, Police1 hosted several sessions at MCON 2024 on how military veterans can successfully transition into public safety careers, as well as improve their resiliency.

Police1 columnist Rob Lawrence moderated a panel discussion with Lt. Tim Mullins with the Las Vegas Department of Public Safety and Firefighter/Paramedic Christian Ross with the Clark County Fire Department in Nevada. They discussed their successful transitions from military service to civilian first responder roles, explored the similarities between military and public safety careers, and provided valuable insights on how to adapt your military experience to thrive in law enforcement, EMS, or firefighting.

Lt. Mullins started his military journey with the United States Marine Corps and transitioned to the Navy Reserves, currently holding the position of Commanding Officer for the largest Naval unit at Nellis A.F.B.

Christian Ross served in the U.S. Air Force for 13 years, with eight years of active duty and five years in the Air National Guard. During active duty, he served as a critical care paramedic and was deployed to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom where he handled multiple mass casualty incidents with NATO and the local national community. He then transitioned to the Air National Guard as a search and extraction medic. While in the Air National Guard, he was hired as a Firefighter/Paramedic with the Clark County Fire Department in Nevada and is currently assigned to Station 27.

For more information on police careers, click here.