South Texas College’s Regional Center for Public Safety Excellence will host its annual Public Safety and First Responders Expo on April 26, welcoming community members to explore career opportunities and academic pathways as first responders.

Free and open to the public, more than 400 students from school districts across the Rio Grande Valley and community members are invited to the event, where a total of 40 local, state and federal agencies will demonstrate their state-of-the-art equipment and specialized vehicles utilized in the field. There will also be diverse demonstrations such as immersive virtual reality shooting simulations and interactive fire hose exercises.

The Public Safety and First Responders Expo takes place from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the South Texas College Regional Center for Public Safety Excellence, 3901 S. Cage Blvd. in Pharr.

Among the participating organizations are the Federal Bureau of Investigation – McAllen, FBI-Civil Rights, Homeland Security Investigations, Houston Police Department, and Hidalgo County Fire Marshal’s and Sheriff’s Office. Also on hand will be state and local police and fire departments, state and federal law enforcement agencies, and the United States Probation Office – McAllen Division.