Background of
The Center for
Domestic Preparedness
The Center for Domestic Preparedness provides advanced, all-hazards training to approximately 60,000 emergency responders annually from state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, as well as the federal government, foreign governments, and private entities, as available. The scope of training includes preparedness, protection, and response.
Since it opened its doors in 1998, the CDP has trained more than 1.3 million responders.
Responders in 17 different disciplines – Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Service, Governmental Administrative, Hazardous Materials, Healthcare, Law Enforcement, Public Health, Public Safety Communications, Public Works, Agriculture, Education, Citizen/Community Volunteer, Information Technology, Security and Safety, Search and Rescue, and Transportation – train at the CDP.
The responders come from all 50 states and territories, as well as a number of foreign countries.
Tony Russell, Superintendent
Tony Russell is the Superintendent at the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston, Ala.
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The CDP Experience
The CDP provides training most responders cannot get at their home agencies.
At its Chemical, Ordnance, Biological, and Radiological Training Facility (COBRATF), the CDP offers the only program in the nation featuring civilian training exercises which use toxic chemical agents and biological materials (i.e. Sarin, VX, anthrax and ricin). The advanced hands-on training enables responders to respond effectively to real-world incidents involving chemical, biological, explosive, radiological, and other hazardous materials.
Training at the CDP’s Advanced Responder Training Complex (ARTC) prepares responders to deal with a wide range of man-made and natural hazards in settings commonplace in communities across the nation. Among other things, the ARTC has an industrial park, a mock subway station, and a simulated street scene with offices, businesses and warehouses.
The Noble Training Facility at the CDP is the only hospital facility in the United States dedicated solely to training hospital and healthcare professionals in disaster preparedness and response. The facility includes classrooms, exercise and simulation areas, an emergency operations center, emergency department, clinical ward, and an isolation ward for ‘patients’ with highly infectious diseases.
In addition, responders earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for completing CDP courses. Many responders are required by their departments to earn a designated amount of CEUs each year.
Further, the CDP offers the exclusive opportunity to combine state, local, tribal and territorial responders with those from other departments and agencies to train jointly.
Overview of the
Center for Domestic Preparedness
CDP Strategic Plan 2019-2023
The CDP's 2019-2023 Strategic Plan focuses our collective efforts in support of the broader FEMA Strategic Plan by improving our capability to "Train the Best for the Worst."
National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC)
The National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC) is a partnership of several nationally recognized organizations.