One of the benefits to the community is that there is a paid person available to work on the State of Alaska's required paperwork associated with EMT and fire operations. He has also written grant requests for safety programs. VPSOs have a contract with a community that must be renewed and approved every year. A person interested in being a VPSO must have a high school diploma or GED and no felony charges made against them. VPSOs are employees of Tlingit-Haida.
Local hire is preferred.
A VPSO is evaluated yearly by the community, State Troopers and Tlingit-Haida. If there are problems with a VPSO they are put on probation and if the problems continue their contract is terminated or not renewed. A. No, the state will not force a community to have a VPSO but if there is a lot of problems within a community they may station a state trooper there. A. 1st education for the people, here is why a bear was in your yard. Removal of bear.