Hundreds of law enforcement look to STC Regional Center for Public Safety Excellence for training so far in 2022
Law enforcement agencies from across the Rio Grande Valley attended FEMA’s National Incident Management System (NIMS) course ICS 300 April 4. The course which was held at South Texas College’s Regional Center for Public Safety Excellence offered training on how to manage expanding incidents including everything from flooding situations and hurricanes. Agencies from at least five different counties participated in the training and learned how to work as incident management teams and create incident action plans in order to mitigate various scenarios.
The impact of South Texas College’s Regional Center for Public Safety Excellence is definitely being felt as hundreds of law enforcement personnel have made their way to the center in Pharr for training in the early months of 2022, according to RCPSE administrators.
More than 600 law enforcement officers have participated in training at South Texas College’s Regional Center for Public Safety Excellence (RCPSE) since January 2022, according to RCPSE Director Jose Moroles.
STC is the first border community college in the nation to establish integrative training for local, state and federal professionals in law enforcement, public safety, fire safety and homeland security along with the US/Mexico border.
Moroles said the RCPSE specializes in training programs most needed by law enforcement.
“I think the impact of STC’s Regional Training Center is being felt now,” Moroles said. “People are seeing the importance of it, of the fact that we are providing training for all levels of law enforcement.”
Recently, law enforcement agencies from across the Rio Grande Valley attended FEMA’s National Incident Management System (NIMS) course ICS 300 and 400 April 4-7. The course which was held onsite at RCPSE offered training on how to manage expanding incidents including everything from flooding situations, hurricanes, active shooter scenarios, terrorism and more.
Agencies from at least five different counties participated in the training and learned how to work as incident management teams and create incident action plans in order to mitigate various scenarios.
“This is what FEMA expects from all (agencies), all the way down from the state level to the county and cities; how we have to work together…especially every time we have a state disaster declaration from the governor,” said Eric Johansen, TEEKS instructor for the NIMS course. “This is a mandated process for uniformity and for tracking resources as well as the cost for these resources. At this particular level, resources are not only used by cities and counties but you also have state resources and federal, and because of that it dictates how we plan, as well as tracking cost and resources to the citizens.”
They come from as far away as Louisiana or Colorado as well as from all the major cities in Texas and recognize that our Regional Center can give them all the training they need.”
Since the year began, STC’s RCPSE trainings have included at least 70 different courses ranging from Crime Scene Investigation to Human Trafficking. A list of trainings past, present and future can be found here.
STC RCPSE recently hosted the United States Secret Service, which provided training for law enforcement and first responders with regards to such topics as Domestic Terrorism and Extremist, Cartel Terrorism. Another onsite training held at RCPSE included the Firearms Instructor Certification Course April 4-8 for law enforcement agencies.
“We are helping them become instructors so they can go back to their respective departments and help train other officers,” said Guadalupe Gonzalez, a patrol officer with STC’s Department of Public Safety who is conducting the Firearms Instructor course. “South Texas College RCPSE helps them create their own courses that are tailored to their own department’s needs and as always officer safety is key.”
Current goals of the RCPSE include prioritizing the most sought-after instruction required by federal, state, county, municipal and school district law enforcement, further developing partnerships with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), and assisting agencies in recruiting future law enforcement officers.
“We serve a great purpose when it comes to providing training for law enforcement and first responders so they don’t have to leave the region,” Moroles said. “They can come here to our regionally focused training center for mandated TCOLE training or something they are doing for themselves to do their job better. They come from as far away as Louisiana or Colorado as well as from all the major cities in Texas and recognize that our Regional Center can give them all the training they need.”