2026 St. Lucie County Safety Festival returns to Clover Park
WELCOME BACK TO THE 12TH ANNUAL SAINT LUCIE COUNTY SAFETY FEST IS THIS SATURDAY. IT BRINGS A COMMUNITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT TOGETHER. WE HAVE WITH US SAINT LUCIE COUNTY SHERIFF RICHARD DEL TORO WITH US, ALONG WITH THE COUNTY EDUCATION FOUNDATION PRESIDENT TOM JONES. THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US. THANKS FOR HAVING US. SO FOR PEOPLE WHO AREN’T FAMILIAR WITH THIS FESTIVAL, WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? ALL ABOUT SAFETY. IT’S THE 12TH ANNUAL SAFETY FEST AND IT’S GOING TO BE AT CLOVER PARK. WE’RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT. IT BRINGS EVERY AGENCY, ALL FIRST RESPONDERS TOGETHER FROM THE FIRE DISTRICT. SAINT LUCIE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, PORT SAINT LUCIE POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND THIS YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE THE FORT PIERCE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THEIR NEW CHIEF, DAVID SMITH, THERE. SO WE’RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. ALL RIGHT. SO 12 YEARS RUNNING, WHY IS IT WHY IS AN EVENT LIKE THIS SO IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT? WELL, IT REALLY IS ALL ABOUT PREVENTION. IT SHOWS THEM WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE OFFER, ALL THE DIFFERENT DEMONSTRATIONS WE’RE GOING TO HAVE THERE FROM A BIKE RODEO ABOUT SAFETY, BOMB DISPOSAL, SWAT TEAM, K-9S, TOUCH A TRUCK, FACE PAINTINGS, AND IT’S JUST ALL ABOUT EDUCATION AND PREVENTION. AND TOM, HOW DO YOU PLAY A ROLE IN ALL OF THIS? THE FOUNDATION. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE’RE A SPONSOR OF THE SAFETY FESTIVAL. FOR MANY YEARS. WE ALSO WE SPONSOR THE KIDS ZONE, AND THAT’S A SAFE SPACE FOR CHILDREN. AND THAT HAS THE BOUNCE HOUSES AND FACE PAINTING. BUT WE ALSO ARE THE FIRST EVENT OF THE FESTIVAL. AND WE HAVE A2K COLOR FUN RUN. AND THIS IS OUR EFFORT TO RAISE MONEY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS AND TEACHER GRANTS. AND WHY IS THIS EVENT SO IMPORTANT TO YOU PERSONALLY? WELL, PERSONALLY, IT’S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO, TO GET TO GET TOGETHER AND TO SEE WHAT THE FIRST RESPONDERS DO, WHICH IS SO MUCH. AND THEN, AND THEN IT’S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION TO GET HIS WORD OUT ABOUT HIS PROGRAMING AND SHARE. IF YOU HAVE DEMONSTRATIONS THERE AS WELL, THEY’RE VERY INTENSE. I HAVE TO SAY. TELL US ABOUT ALL THE OTHER THE EVENT AS WELL THAT PEOPLE CAN EXPECT. SO WE’RE GOING TO HAVE THE K-9 UNIT OUT THERE. WE ALL WE ALL LOVE THE DOGS AND THEY’RE GOING TO SHOW YOU HOW THEY TAKE DOWN SUSPECTS IF NEEDED. OUR SWAT TEAM, THERE’S GOING TO BE A FIRE BURN TRAILER. LIKE I SAID, BOMB DISPOSAL. SO IT’S GOING TO BE EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN IMAGINE LIKE YOU SEE ON TV, BUT LIVE AND IN PERSON. SO IT’S JUST A GREAT EVENT TO COME ON OUT AND JUST INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC AND BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT. IS THERE ANYTHING NEW THIS YEAR? ANY NEW DEMONSTRATIONS? THE DEMONSTRATIONS, THE TYPE OF DEMONSTRATION THAT IT’LL BE, IT’LL BE SWAPPED, BUT IT’LL BE A DIFFERENT SCENARIO. SO IT WON’T BE THE SAME OLD, SAME OLD, AND WE’LL BE THERE TO NARRATE IT AND JUST HAVE A GREAT TIME. AND DESPITE EVERYTHING THE SHERIFF JUST SAID, IT IS FAMILY FRIENDLY. BELIEVE IT OR NOT. AND IT IS FREE ADMISSION AS WELL. FREE ADMISSION. JUST COME OUT, HAVE A GREAT TIME AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYBODY THERE. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU HAVE WITH THE COMMUNITY? YOU KNOW, AT A TIME WHERE SOMETIMES THERE COULD BE SOME TENSION BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE COMMUNITY? WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO HOLD EVENTS LIKE THIS? WELL, BECAUSE IT’S ALL ABOUT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS. THAT’S WHAT COMMUNITY POLICING IS ALL ABOUT. AND WHAT YOU SEE NATIONWIDE IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT’S ANTI-POLICE OR ANTI-LAW ENFORCEMENT, YOU DON’T SEE THAT HERE IN SAINT LUCIE COUNTY. THEY’RE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THEIR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND ALL FIRST RESPONDERS. I THINK IT’S BECAUSE WE HAVE THESE TYPE OF EVENTS WHERE THEY GET TO KNOW US. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN’T WAIT FOR A CRISIS TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP. SO WE BUILD THESE RELATIONSHIPS HERE AROUND US. WHAT WE DO AS PART OF MY JOB, PART OF THE CHIEF’S JOB, WE JUST GET OUT THERE AND IT REALLY PAYS OFF IN THE LONG RUN. SURE. THIS IS YOUR SECOND ONE NOW, AS AS SHERIFF, THIS WILL BE MY SECOND ONE. OKAY, GREAT. IT’S AWESOME. IT’S BEEN A GREAT, GREAT TIME. ALL RIGHT. DID WE MISS ANYTHING? GENTLEMEN, BEFORE I WRAP UP. NO, YOU DID GREAT. ALL GOOD. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU GUYS. THANKS SO MUCH. ALWAYS NICE TO SEE YOU. AS TO WHERE IT IS. I KNOW THE SHERIFF SAID IT, BUT AL
2026 St. Lucie County Safety Festival returns to Clover Park
Updated: 10:08 AM EDT Apr 20, 2026
The 2026 Safety Festival is celebrating 12 years. The free event will be held on Saturday, April 25 at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie. The event features live demonstrations by first responders.St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro stopped by our studio, along with SLC Education Foundation President Thom Jones, to talk more about the event. WPBF 25 News is a presenting sponsor of the Safety Festival. For more information, click here.
The 2026 Safety Festival is celebrating 12 years. The free event will be held on Saturday, April 25 at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie. The event features live demonstrations by first responders.
St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro stopped by our studio, along with SLC Education Foundation President Thom Jones, to talk more about the event. WPBF 25 News is a presenting sponsor of the Safety Festival. For more information, click here.