Many people are not aware of how significant a role two-year institutions play in training emergency first responders. Community colleges play a key role in training the nation's police officers and other public safety employees, such as firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs). The demand for these programs is high. There is a constant need for workers to fill the public safety pipeline, and once they are hired, public safety employees must continue to receive skills training and recertification, often on an annual basis. Much of this training takes place outside the classroom, in role-playing exercises and other simulations that thoroughly prepare students for what they are apt to encounter in the field. Some of these situations involve live actors. Others involve sophisticated technologies, such as immersive virtual environments or even "burn buildings" that can replicate different kinds of fires. This article discusses how training programs in Florida, South Carolina, and New York have evolved to meet the changing needs brought about by new technologies.