It's hard to imagine withstanding a shot of pepper spray straight into the eyes, then subduing a suspect with three knee shots to the chest, putting handcuffs on the suspect and radioing to dispatch.

That's one of many tests Department of Public Safety officers must pass during a three month training process to become an officer.

Lt. Paul Mascari, DPS training coordinator, said DPS goes above and beyond requirements for a private university's safety department. He said officers receive the same, if not more, training than police department officers.

DPS accepts applications from all men and women — applicants do not have to be members of the Marquette community. Before training starts, applications move through a rigorous screening process that includes background checks, physical and mental exams and contacting several references.

The department received more than 90 applications the last time it announced hiring for a position, which was earlier this year.

"It's a competitive selection process, and we are very picky," Mascari said. "We don't compromise our standards when it comes to choosing people that will join our team."

The main sessions of training are defense and arrest tactics, patrol and respond, firearms training, first aid, report writing and field training, among others. Current DPS officers act as uncooperative suspects and teach trainees how to handle everything from drunken college students to angry subjects with guns.

Public Safety officers go through the same firearms training as Milwaukee police officers and carry identical weapons and tools, Mascari said.

"The Milwaukee police officers see us as peers and not a private security company," Mascari said. "They know the training that we've gone through and that comes with a sense of respect."

Officer Kevin Walz, who completed his training earlier this month, came to DPS after spending 22 years in the Army. He said that the training is on par with the training he went through in the Army.

Trainees undergo a pepper spray test where they are sprayed in the eyes for one second and forced to complete a series of tasks.

"I've been tear gassed before in the Army. Tear gas is nothing compared to this," Walz said. "It seems like forever because you can't see, and then the burning doesn't go away for about an hour and a half. You can't even open your eyes and you have to take down a suspect and then get out your handcuffs and secure (the suspect)."

The trainees are put through real life scenarios, even preparing for campus shootings. During Officer Walz's training, he and other trainees were taken into an empty building near campus and had to respond to a scenario similar to the shootings at Virginia Tech. Trainees were challenged to secure the building and take down the "armed suspects," played by DPS officers — all while wearing a full suit of protective gear.

The officers say that while they are not police officers, they have never had problems with students treating them differently.

"I always thought of Public Safety officers as cops, only they're here more to help students whenever they need it — where cops only help when the situation is really serious," said Katie Vetter, a junior in the College of Health Sciences.