IRSC’s Public Safety Training Program Gets New Law Enforcement Vehicles
Three Equipped State-Of-The-Art Vehicles Funded Through National Grants Program
FORT PIERCE—Indian River State College’s (IRSC) Treasure Coast Public Safety Training program has purchased three new patrol vehicles, made possible by federal grants distributed by the Florida Department of Education.
The new vehicles include two 2021 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor utility vehicles and one 2021 Dodge Charger sedan. All three vehicles are outfitted with law enforcement packages, which include lights, sirens, and public address (PA) systems. To complete the 848-hour Law Enforcement Basic Recruit Training Program, students are required to have 48 hours of training in Law Enforcement Vehicle Operations Training in properly outfitted vehicles.
There are now 13 vehicles in the Criminal Justice Institute fleet to support training. “Students in IRSC’s law enforcement and fire academies train on real-world scenarios,” said IRSC Dean of Public Service Education, Raimundo Socorro. “This funding allows students seeking careers in law enforcement authentic experiences training in vehicles they will encounter in the field.” In addition to the purchase of vehicles, grant funds were used to purchase equipment for the Fire Science Academy.
“High-quality Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs are particularly important to the College, as greater industry alignment helps to ensure students successfully transition into employment,” said IRSC Business Division Dean Prashanth Pilly, who serves as the College’s lead administrator for the Perkins grants. “Grant funds are used to support CTE enrollment, foster program development, and provide up-to-date industry-relevant equipment for programs that are sustainable in the local economy.”
About the IRSC Treasure Coast Public Safety Training Complex
The IRSC Treasure Coast Public Safety Training Complex offers a wide range of educational and professional development opportunities in criminal justice—including the Florida Law Enforcement Academy—and degree and certificate programs in emergency management, homeland security, paralegal and human services. The comprehensive 50-acre, eight-building facility features a virtual reality use-of-force training simulator, an Emergency Operations Center, a three-story tactical shoot house, an indoor tactical firearms range, a dive training lake, a mock courtroom, booking and jail cells, a computer crime investigations lab, tactical vehicle training range, human services suite, classrooms and a 450-seat auditorium. To learn more, visit irsc.edu.
About the Carl D. Perkins Career & Technical Education Grant Program
The Carl D. Perkins Career & Technical Education grants program is the primary federal investment in career and technical education at both the secondary and postsecondary levels. Each year, Florida receives approximately $73 million, the bulk of which is distributed by the Florida Department of Education to school districts and Florida College System institutions through annual entitlement grants, as well as competitive grants including support for entrepreneurship education and training.
The latest iteration of the program, knowns as Perkins V, includes grants for equipment upgrades and modernization at institutions that offer Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. The U.S. Department of Education approved Florida’s Four-Year State Plan in June 2020. The Plan outlines Florida’s commitment to providing all students the opportunity to participate in quality CTE programs that lead to in-demand occupations. For more details, visit https://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/funding-opportunities/2022-2023-funding-opportunities/perkins.stml