FORT PIERCE — Whether it’s for a local New York Mets game or the Super Bowl in Tampa, Indian River State College and the federal government are training security agents from across the country in national defense.

The college joined with the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Energy this week for a 3 1/2-day course at the college’s new Vernon Smith Public Safety Education Building at the Treasure Coast Public Safety Training Complex on Kirby Loop Road.

Thirty students in law enforcement, emergency management, public safety, and medical and fire rescue from the state and across the country searched for radioactive materials throughout the 50-acre complex on Thursday in what college officials hope to be the first of many national defense seminars.

They are being taught by 25 federal instructors, learning to prevent a catastrophic radiological or nuclear attack. Officials from small agencies, as well as those going to work the presidential inauguration next week and the Super Bowl on Feb. 1 are part of the group. No one from the Treasure Coast in the group are attending those events.

By Laurie K. Blandford, TCPalm.com