Science and technology have transformed law enforcement and the overall landscape where we live today. Against a backdrop of an ever-changing world filled with increasingly complex and volatile threats, society has placed even greater demands on law enforcement and the criminal justice system to continue to advance in unprecedented ways. The solution requires collaboration and continuing research to develop new and improved methods, to fill gaps in industry knowledge, skills, capabilities, and to revolutionize training for practitioners in forensics, security, and tactics. Florida’s Forensic Institute for Research, Security, and Tactics (FIRST) represents such a collaboration – a partnership between academia and practitioners to develop a state-of-the-art research enterprise that will inform, innovate, and offer cutting-edge training. FIRST is the only known facility to be built from the ground up aimed at developing innovative solutions and enhancing tactical capabilities in key disciplines of public safety by partnering researchers and practitioners. Through FIRST, we will empower leaders around the world with the knowledge necessary to ensure safer communities by transforming public safety through research, education, and innovation. To accomplish this, we are creating a network of sites, which will contain both indoor and outdoor research and training facilities in the areas of forensics, security, and tactics. FIRST will provide the public safety industry with a one-of-a-kind, integrated research and training experience, which includes state-of-the-art instructional facilities, next generation training techniques, and collaborative partnerships with academia, practitioners, community-based organizations, and local businesses to help spark innovative solutions to the complex problems in today’s world.