Texas Border Business
McALLEN, Texas – The City of McAllen welcomed 14 firefighters from Corregidora, Querétaro, and Reynosa, Tamaulipas, for a one-and-a-half-day training with the McAllen Fire Department. The exchange included hands-on instruction and specialized exercises in vehicle extraction, hose advancement, forcible entry, search and rescue, ventilation, and ladder operations.
McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos welcomed the visiting firefighters and highlighted the opportunity to exchange emergency response knowledge and practices.
Launched in 2025 by the city’s departments of International Relations and Fire in coordination with the Sister Cities program, the International Firefighters Exchange Program is hosting its third cohort. Two cohorts participated during the program’s inaugural year.
Corregidora is not a Sister City of McAllen; however, the two cities established an official partnership through a memorandum of understanding signed July 29, 2025, by mayors Josué “Chepe” Guerrero and Javier Villalobos. The agreement provides a framework for cooperation in areas including technical assistance and the exchange of best practices.
Check out the gallery below for more photos. All images courtesy of the City of Mcallen
McAllen and Reynosa also maintain a longstanding Sister City relationship, providing another avenue for continued cooperation. “Training together creates an opportunity for our firefighters to learn from one another and strengthen the skills they rely on every day. These partnerships are valuable because they help build stronger emergency response capabilities and support the communities we serve,” said Mayor Javier Villalobos.
“Through this training, visiting firefighters are gaining practical experience with tactics and scenarios they can apply within their own departments. Our goal is for participants to return home with new knowledge to strengthen cross-border collaboration in public safety and emergency response, while fostering continued cooperation among regional fire agencies,” said Fire Chief Juan A. Gloria.
The continued exchange reflects McAllen’s commitment to developing professional relationships with neighboring border communities while creating opportunities for firefighters to learn directly from one another in a real-world training environment.
Information source: City of McAllen
