Texas families are about to get a heavy dose of safety education as the state’s top law enforcement agency launches the final phase of its 90th anniversary campaign. At a time when dangers seem to lurk everywhere from medicine cabinets to smartphone screens, officials hope the initiative will give Texans practical tools to protect their loved ones.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) kicked off “Keeping Texas Families Safe” on October 10, completing the three-part “90 Days of Safety” campaign that commemorates the agency’s founding in 1935. This 30-day push focuses on family protection strategies ranging from proper gun storage to fentanyl awareness.
“Texas faces more threats today than at any other time in our lives — and some of those threats are right down the street or on the other side of a computer screen,” said Homeland Security Division Chief Gerald Brown, highlighting the campaign’s urgency.
From Gun Safes to Digital Defense
What exactly are Texas families supposed to be safeguarding against? Pretty much everything, it seems. The campaign addresses five key areas: firearm storage, natural disaster readiness, fentanyl awareness, online scam prevention, and community vigilance.
The fentanyl warnings are particularly stark. “Just ONE PILL laced with 2 milligrams of fentanyl can take someone’s life,” reads campaign materials — a sobering reminder of the synthetic opioid’s deadly potency that has devastated communities nationwide.
Beyond drug dangers, the DPS is urging Texans to keep firearms locked in safes or cabinets, develop family emergency plans before disasters strike, learn to spot online scams, and download the iWatchTexas app for reporting suspicious activities.
Ninety Years, Ninety Days
The safety blitz isn’t just about public education — it’s also a birthday celebration of sorts. DPS has strategically structured its “90 Days of Safety” to mark nine decades since the agency’s establishment on August 10, 1935.
Each 30-day segment has targeted a different safety sphere: community safety launched in August, road safety in September, and now family safety in October. The messaging has been amplified through public service announcements playing in over 180 driver license offices statewide and social media campaigns featuring DPS leadership.
Kids aren’t being left out of the safety conversation either. In a creative outreach effort, the agency has re-launched its “Keeping Texas Safe” coloring and activity book program featuring K-9 Disco — a character inspired by a real four-year-old bomb-sniffing Vizsla stationed at the Texas State Capitol.
Why target children with safety messaging? DPS officials hope the illustrated materials will spark important conversations between youngsters and adults about everyday dangers.
Evolution of Protection
Since its Depression-era founding, DPS has transformed dramatically. What began as a highway patrol has evolved into “one of the nation’s most comprehensive public safety agencies, encompassing divisions that lead the way and set the standard in law enforcement, technology, forensics, aviation, intelligence and more.”
The agency now employs thousands across specialized units handling everything from border security to cybercrime — a far cry from its modest beginnings. Through the anniversary campaign, DPS leadership is emphasizing values of integrity, accountability, and teamwork that have guided the organization through nine decades of Texas’ changing threat landscape.
As the final phase of the safety initiative unfolds over the coming weeks, Texans can expect to see more messaging about protecting their families from both traditional and emerging dangers. In an era where threats range from extreme weather to digital predators, the campaign’s message is clear: safety begins at home, with awareness and preparation.
