Palm Beach State Invitational draws 600 public safety competitors from around the world

The Palm Beach State Invitational returned for its fourth year May 4–9, bringing more than 60 teams and over 600 competitors from across the United States, Canada, and even as far as Mexico and Chile. The high-energy event challenged participants to demonstrate speed, precision and teamwork as they tackled complex, real-world rescue scenarios. 

Hosted at PBSC’s Lake Worth campus and its 143,000-square-foot Public Safety Training Center, the Invitational put police officers, firefighters and EMS professionals through four demanding simulations: advanced life support, vehicle extrication, rapid intervention and rope rescue. This year’s competition held special significance as the nation marks its 250th anniversary, honoring the courage of first responders while bringing the community together in a spirit of patriotism.  

“This event is designed to mirror the intensity and unpredictability our responders face in the field,” said PBSC Public Safety instructor Mark Siciliano “The competition is about learning from one another, refining critical skills and building the kind of trust and coordination that saves lives.” 

The competition brings together public safety professionals from around the world to test their abilities, challenge their peers and learn side-by-side in a collaborative, high-stakes environment. The Invitational is also a valuable opportunity for participants to learn from other public safety agencies and bring those skills back to their departments.  

“We come for the atmosphere and the opportunity to better ourselves as firefighters,” said Jesse Joseph, a firefighter from Markham Fire & Emergency Services in Canada. “At the same time, we take everything we learn back to our city because we’re competing and learning from some of the best guys.” 

The event goes beyond competition, with workshops and lectures delivering valuable insights on key public safety topics. From cutting-edge techniques to expert guidance, attendees learned from industry leaders, including the Florida RIT Operations Group and Elevated Safety. 

The Invitational also showcased the strength of the College’s Public Safety program and its close partnerships with agencies that employ PBSC graduates. For students and recent alumni, it offered a front-row seat to see classroom lessons come to life. Many PBSC public safety students also volunteer, playing the role of victims in the realistic training scenarios. 

“Watching the professionals compete and handle high-pressure scenarios was incredible. It’s inspiring to think that one day I could be competing at that level too,” said Aiden Bashaw, a PBSC Fire Academy student and volunteer for the vehicle extrication event. 

And the winners are:

1. Largo Fire Rescue
2. Miami Dade Fire Rescue
3. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue
    

1. Coral Springs Fire Rescue
2. Miami Dade Fire Rescue
3. Town of Palm Beach

1. The District Fire Rescue 
2. West Palm Beach Fire Rescue
3. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue

1. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue
2. Miami Dade Fire Rescue
3. Tamarac Fire Rescue- Team A