The Center for Domestic Preparedness' commitment to train emergency response providers goes beyond standard room instruction. Whether it's tailored to law enforcement, firefighters, or healthcare professionals, the CDP staff offers a wide variety of courses to local jurisdictions. The CDP has averaged 58 mobile training events per week in 2008. The Mobile Training Teams - MTTs - offer hometown responders an opportunity to receive the vital training necessary to respond to potential threats, whether accidental or manmade. Established in 1998, the CDP offers training for emergency response providers in 10 diverse response disciplines:Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Service, Governmental Administrative, Hazardous Materials, Healthcare, Law Enforcement, Public Health, Public Safety Communications, and Public Works. "MTTs allow us to extend the same quality of training that's offered at the CDP to local jurisdictions," said Rick Dickson, Acting Assistant Director of Training Delivery. "Providing mobile training allows our instructors to train responders in their own communities, based on their specific needs." "Having the CDP trainers come to us is more realistic because of budget and manpower constraints," said Lt. James McClain of the Chickasha, Okla., City Police Department. "Knowing that the potential to arrive on a contaminated crime scene exists is important, and understanding how to process a scene is equally important. Training makes us better officers and I feel more well-rounded. But if the [CDP] wasn't available to come here, I'm not sure when I would have gotten to train." The CDP is a major component of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Preparedness Directorate and is the nation's only Congressionally-chartered federal training facility. The training program provides responders with knowledge to prevent, protect, respond to, and recover from chemical, biological, explosive, radiological, or other hazardous materials incidents. As many as 25 of the CDP's 38 training courses are available through MTTs. Emergency response providers who require training at the CDP's toxic training facility, must make the trip to Anniston, Ala. The CDP is home to the nation's only civilian training facility offering emergency response providers an opportunity to train and operate in a nerve agent environment. The CDP's first MTT was conducted in Salt Lake City, when Utah requested the training for its emergency responders in support of the 2002 Winter Olympics. Because the training was beneficial to the state's preparedness, the CDP began offering MTTs to all states and U.S. territories. As of September 2008, MTTs have been offered in 48 states and four U.S. territories, resulting in more than 6,700 MTTs since 2002 - totaling more than 188,000 MTT-trained emergency responders. "MTTs allow the CDP to provide quality training to emergency response personnel, assists departments in establishing capabilities, and prepares them for advanced training at the CDP's campus in Anniston," said Dickson. "This is a win-win for local jurisdictions faced with staffing challenges and the responsibility to prepare for catastrophic events associated with disasters." "For cost reasons, I wouldn't have attended the training if it weren't available here," said Dan Bigelow, a sergeant with the Oklahoma City Police Department. "It was great and I feel better prepared, especially from the hands-on training. The CDP has a professional and educated staff... they knew what they were doing." MTTs last from one to four days, depending on the course. A request made through the State's Administrative Agency (SAA) initiates the process. Jurisdictions are responsible for recruiting responder students and providing the required training locations or rooms. The CDP provides training at no cost to the local jurisdiction. "The CDP lives and breathes preparedness," said Denis Campeau, Acting Associate Director for Training and Education.  "Jurisdictions routinely take advantage of the CDP's ability to provide advanced hands-on training by hosting MTTs and sending their emergency response providers to the Alabama facility." During the past six months, the CDP's staff has worked closely with the state and local officials responsible for hosting the Republican and Democratic National Conventions in Colorado and Minnesota. "The CDP was very helpful and provided training material that was easy to understand," said Lt. Stacey Goss, from the Denver Police Department. "[The CDP] broke the training down to the simplest of details which proved to be extremely helpful." "Every time an MTT hits the road, we know we're making a difference," Campeau added. "The CDP is a one-of-a-kind training program that contributes to the preparedness and response of our nation. We're proud of that fact, and we enjoy the grass-roots effort to visit hometown America to offer training that has an impact on local jurisdictions. Knowing we played a direct role in preparing responders for the national conventions brings even more satisfaction." "The Rapid Response squads and Field Force Squads involved in crowd management functions during the DNC used several of the techniques taught by CDP instructors," added Goss. "The organized manner in which each squad performed contributed to the effectiveness of the overall crowd management response. Over a period of six weeks, we trained nearly 1,200 officers from eight different agencies. Having the CDP bring instructors to Denver allowed us to train in our own environment and allowed us to train a large quantity of officers during the busy times preceding the DNC." Numerous federal and non-federal training partnerships enable the CDP staff to share knowledge, ensuring the nation's emergency response providers receive the most up-to-date training. The CDP offers responders a wide range of training available as MTTs, resident, and non-resident programs. Learn more about the CDP at http://cdp.dhs.gov

Or contact: Shannon Arledge Public Information Specialist Center for Domestic Preparedness National Preparedness Directorate Federal Emergency Management Agency U.S. Department of Homeland Security 256.847.2212 (desk)