José Alves holds a degree in Civil Protection from the ISCIA Aveiro, a post-graduate degree in Risk Mapping and Civil Protection Planning from the ULP and a Master’s degree in Civil Protection from the Universidade Lusófona — Centro Universitário do Porto. Throughout his career, he has held several positions including Municipal Operational Commander of Gondomar, Commander of the Gondomar Municipal Police, and Commander of the Valbom Volunteer Fire Brigade. He has undergone specialised courses, such as the ENB Command Course, Environmental Trainers Course, certified by INOFOR, Trainer Pedagogical Aptitude Certificate (CAP), Criminal Investigator Course of the Military Judicial Police, Judicial Inspection Course, (Higher Institute of Police and Criminal Sciences), Emergency Trauma and Catastrophe Course (Portuguese Association for Training in Trauma, Emergency, and Catastrophe) in 2009. He serves as a guest assistant professor at Universidade Lusófona — Centro Universitário do Porto and as a guest professor at CVP’s Escola Superior de Enfermagem do Norte.