News - Center for Domestic Preparedness

Students practice putting on and removing personal protective equipment in the Barrier Precautions and Controls for Highly Infectious Disease (HID) course.

CDP to host ‘Highly Infectious Disease’-themed training week

The Center for Domestic Preparedness will host a Highly Infectious Disease-themed Training Week August 27-31 on its campus in Anniston, Ala.

A montage featuring first responders of all disciplines

CDP releases training #’s for first half of 2018

The CDP has released its training numbers for the first half of 2018.

Trainers wearing one of the new chemical suits being tested at the COBRATF.

COBRATF Testing New Chemical Protection Suits

The Chemical, Ordnance, Biological and Radiological Training Facility is always looking for ways to improve training while keeping students safe.

Students take part in one of the LERA Course’s practical exercises.

SPOTLIGHT: LERA Course

Law Enforcement Response Actions for CBRNE Incidents (LERA) is a one-day training course during which law enforcement and security personnel apply the knowledge and skills they learn during a companion course, Law Enforcement Protective Measures for CBRNE Incidents.

Disaster Medical Assistance Team members in training at the CDP.

CDP supports training of national medical teams

The CDP has been helping improve the nation’s disaster medical response capability by hosting several training courses this summer for members of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS).

FEMA Disaster Recovery Center workers huddle on the center’s opening day in Jacksonville, Ala. The DRC was overseen by FEMA’s Joint Field Office for the disaster, which was supported by the CDP.

CDP support to JFO saves FEMA more than $250K

The CDP’s support of a local Joint Field Office will save FEMA more than a quarter of a million dollars by the time the JFO closes.

U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL), left, enjoys a lighter moment with members of the CDP team, including (l-r) Malanie English, Charles Reneau, Pete Zekoff and CDP Superintendent Tony Russell. Jones toured the CDP June 29 and got the chance to see healthcare students taking part in a mass casualty and

U.S. Sen. Jones Visits CDP

U.S. Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) got an in-depth look at the CDP during a visit June 29.

CDP Turns 20

The CDP hosted a celebration June 14 to mark the center’s 20th anniversary, and FEMA officials, local elected officials and former CDP superintendents were among those in attendance at the small but stylish event.

Healthcare professionals learn how to decontaminate patients during CDP training classes conducted in Puerto Rico.

CDP conducts Emergency Response Training in Puerto Rico

The CDP teamed up with the Government of Puerto Rico May 29-June 1 to train nearly 100 of the territory’s emergency and healthcare workers to respond to mass casualty incidents.

Instructor-in-training Winslow Harrison (right), an emergency medical technician, applies a tourniquet to the arm of a fellow student during the Instructor Training Course.

SPOTLIGHT: Instructor Training Course (ITC)

The instructor stands in front of the class, introduces himself, and then opens the class with a video. The video is the all-too-familiar police “bodycam” footage we have all seen before...

A map of the Caribbean Sea with Puerto Rico highlighted.

CDP set to train healthcare workers in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico will be the site of two CDP classes and an associated health care mass casualty exercise May 29 - June 1.

Jim McDonnell, Assistant Secretary of the DHS Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office, discusses some of the capabilities of select chemical detection equipment to fellow visitor Christian Lee, from the Senate Appropriations Committee staff, at the COBRA Training Facility.

DHS Official, Senate Staffers Visit CDP

The head of the Department of Homeland Security’s newest office got an inside look at how the nation’s first responders train to combat weapons of mass destruction during a visit to the Center for Domestic Preparedness.

Students train on mass casualty response and recovery operations at the CDP’s Advanced Responder Training Complex during Hurricane Theme Week.

Mass Casualty Exercise Caps Hurricane Theme Week

The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) hosted its 2018 Hurricane Theme Week April 30 through May 5.

IACET Renews its Accreditation of CDP Courses

Training at the CDP continues to provide an added bonus to responder-students: Continuing Education Units or CEUs for successful completion of any CDP course.

The CDP is training about 175 coastal community-based responders this week how to prepare for, respond to and recover from the effects of hurricanes.

CDP begins week of Hurricane-themed training

The Center for Domestic Preparedness is hosting its 2018 Hurricane Theme Week now through May 5 at its campus in Anniston.

A group of law enforcement officers take up positions against an active shooter during the Integrated Capstone Event conducted as part of the CDP's Complex Coordinated Attack Theme Week. The week brought together law enforcement, hazardous materials, healthcare and emergency management specialists a

CDP conducts Complex Coordinated Attacks Theme Week

The CDP conducted a Complex Coordinated Attacks Theme Week the last week of March.

A team assesses the status of an arriving patient during a mass casualty exercise. The students were among the more than 175 representatives from 54 Tribes and Tribal Agencies who attended the CDP’s 2018 Tribal Training Week, March 19-23. (Photo by John Van Winkle)

CDP hosts 2018 Tribal Nations Training Week

The CDP hosted its annual Tribal Nations Training Week March 19-23. The focused training event brought together 177 students representing 54 tribes and tribal agencies who participated in six different training courses.

Center for Domestic Preparedness earns Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation

The Center for Domestic Preparedness’ Field Force Operations Training Program is now accredited by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation (FLETA) Board of Directors.

The TruDefender spectrometer displays the analysis of a “suspicious substance.”

CDP employs emerging technologies to train responders

Several Center for Domestic Preparedness courses include training on tools and technologies that will improve readiness and response capabilities.

Group photo: From left to right on the front row: Center for Domestic Preparedness Field Force instructors, Mike Phillips, Danny Oliver and Frank Flynn. Far right, Craig Palmer, the Western Region nonresident training manager.

CDP instructors save swimmers while conducting training in Hawaii

The efforts of two Center for Domestic Preparedness instructors may have saved the lives of two swimmers at Hawaii’s Waikiki Beach, recently.

CDP offers Environmental Health professionals training on disaster response skills

Nearly 10 years ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Environmental Health Services Branch (EHSB) delivered the first Environmental Health Training in Emergency Response (EHTER) Awareness Level course at the National Environmental Health Association’s 2006 Annual Educational Conference & Exhibition in San Antonio, Texas. Based on the tremendous success of this introductory ...

HAZMAT Ops students in personal protective equipment apply newly acquired assessment skills during a hands-on exercise at the CDP.

CDP's new operations-level HAZMAT course can help responders save lives, mitigate damage

The Center for Domestic Preparedness has added a new operations-level course to its hazardous materials program. Registration is now open for the Hazardous Materials Operations (HAZMAT Ops) course, which is available to responders in any discipline and will be offered for the first time in August.

Law enforcement officers apply active-shooter response training during an Integrated Capstone Event (ICE) at the CDP.

CDP training helps responders at San Bernardino shooting

“We need to prepare for the inevitable. The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) and its staff gave us the best tools to bring materials and best-practices back to Loma Linda, [California],” said Emergency Management Specialist Georgann Smith last June after training at the CDP. At that time, Smith could not have known that she would be putting her training to the test less than six months later...

The Apprio transportation team drove more than 228,000 miles last year, transporting a combined total of 351,000 passengers, all without a single accident.

Apprio Transportation Team CDP’s Welcoming Committee

It is said that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Be it the first day at a new job or the first day of school, that inaugural interaction sets the tone.

Student nurses from Lawson State Community College train on the M256A1 Chemical Agent Detector Kit at the CDP, March 23.

Lawson State nurses train at the CDP

For the first time, students from Lawson State Community College (LSCC), a historically Black college, attended training at the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP), in Anniston, Ala., March 23.

Angela Busby, a TERT instructor at the CDP, trains first responders from a 50-person cohort from Utah. The CDP reached a milestone in cohort training by hosting 50 responders from a spectrum of emergency management disciplines all from the state of Utah, and hopes it’s the first of many such groups

Utah responders train en masse at the CDP

The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston, Ala., trains thousands of students every year, often by grouping students in cohorts that allow responders from one location or region to train together. The CDP reached a milestone in cohort training by hosting 50 responders from a spectrum of emergency management disciplines all from the state of Utah, in hopes it’s the first of many such g...

Lt. Bryan Hardin (left) and Tim Irvin (right) meet after the incident. Days earlier, Hardin assisted Irvin, who was choking during lunch at the CDP’s cafeteria.

CDP student/paramedic delivers fast response to choking victim

HEC instructor David Blaker (right) explains the training scenario to five HEC students. During the scenario, the students applied the information they learned during the course regarding the collection of evidence in a hazardous environment.

CDP training can help bring terrorists to justice

In an America where acts of terror are a real threat and too frequent of an occurrence, we often overlook the key role local responders play not only in saving lives, but in helping bring terrorists to justice. The Hazardous Materials Evidence Collection for CBRNE Incidents (HEC) course taught at the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston, Ala., teaches first responders to thoroughly i...

The NDPC News

The Newsletter of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium

A student triages a severely wounded "patient." The role player is in the "legs" simulator, a prosthetic torso and amputated legs used in the CDP's healthcare exercises. A role player lies on the gurney. His lower body is tucked into a recess in the specially made gurney so that the prosthetic lower

Role players add realism, excitement to CDP exercises

When Laurie Thomas Wallace took the CDP’s Healthcare Leadership for Mass Casualty Incidents (HCL) course, she commented on the CDP’s Facebook page that training at the CDP was an “awesome experience” and that the CDP’s “role players are fantastic!” The Bloomburg, Penn., native is a clinical educator in respiratory care services with Geisinger Health System in Danville, Penn., and is just one of th...

CDP Alumnus Issue 21

Welcome to the twenty-first issue of the CDP Alumnus, a quarterly newsletter for Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) students, alumni, and others interested in the CDP.

Students participate in a decontamination exercise as part of the Hospital Emergency Response for Mass Casualty Incidents (HERT) course. HERT is one of the CDP courses that offers an additional train-the-trainer course option. Students who take the train-the-trainer course are then authorized to tea

Responders can teach CDP training through the Indirect Training Program

Emergency responders who attend Center for Domestic Preparedness training can easily become qualified to share that training with their colleagues back home through the CDP's Indirect Training Program.

Responders in the Incident Command: Capabilities, Planning and Response Actions for All Hazards (IC) course review an area map as they plan the response to an incident.

Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium teams up with CDP for training week

For the first time, the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC) teamed up with the CDP to offer training specifically to responders from rural communities, Nov. 2 -5.

Students in the Emergency Medical Operations for CBRNE Incidents (EMO) course pull survivors from the contaminated incident scene during the Integrated Capstone Event, Nov. 20. The scene was staged in the CDP's Advanced Responder Training Complex's Indoor Street Scene training venue, which includes

CDP hosts 'New Hampshire Week' for healthcare professionals

Ninety six healthcare professionals from across New Hampshire made the trip south to train at the CDP the week of Nov. 16.

A student in the Emergency Medical Operations for CBRNE Incidents (EMO) course escorts a "survivor" from the incident scene during the Integrated Capstone Event (ICE).

Missouri healthcare professionals sharpen mass casualty response skills with CDP training

More than 100 Missouri healthcare professionals traveled to Anniston, Ala., the week of Oct. 18, to take on the challenge of training at the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) and participate in the Integrated Capstone Event (ICE).

Students in the Healthcare Leadership for Mass Casualty Incidents (HCL) course assume leadership positions in the hospital EOC during the Integrated Capstone Event.

Medical center VP said CDP training was significant experience for her

The CDP often receives feedback from students who have put their training to the test following a disaster. First-time CDP student, Leslie Irwin, didn't wait for a disaster to hit to give the CDP feedback on how taking a CDP course was a significant experience for her.

Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas present the Unity of Effort Award for Ebola Worldwide Response to CDP employees Jeremy Guthrie (center) and Jamie Johnson (right of Guthrie), Nov. 3 at a ceremony held at DHS headquartesrs in Wash

CDP Employees Receive Award From Secretary Of Homeland Security

Four employees from the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) received the Unity of Effort Award for Ebola Worldwide Response from Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, Nov. 4.

CDP Alumnus Issue 20

Welcome to the twentieth issue of the CDP Alumnus, a quarterly newsletter for Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) students, alumni, and others interested in the CDP.

Students prepare a “patient” for transport from the subway training venue in the CDP’s Advance Responder Training Complex.

CDP’S Student Portal Provides A Single, Easy Location For Student Training Documents

So, you’ve signed up for CDP training. Now what? There is good news for state, local, tribal or territorial responders: your CDP training is fully funded. The better news is all of the information you need is now located at one convenient link, The CDP Student Portal.

Soldiers from California National Guard’s 140th Chemical Company don personal protective equipment.

California National Guard Soldiers Train For State Support Mission At CDP

More than 110 California National Guard soldiers conducted their annual training at the Center for Domestic Preparedness this summer, honing their skills to better perform their Title 32 missions.

Ian Jones, Medical Simulation Technician Team Lead, at the CDP’s Noble Training Facility, demonstrates the abilities of a human patient simulators for the students.

Doctoral Candidates Visit CDP

Six doctoral students, including three international students, in the Jacksonville State University (JSU) Emergency Management program took a field trip to the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP), Aug. 21, to explore possible research topics and learn more about employment opportunities in government, education and training.

Students in the Law Enforcement Response Actions for CBRNE Incidents respond to an incident during the Integrated Capstone Event in the CDP’s Advanced Responder Training Complex.

CDP Teams Up With The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center To Take Training To The ‘Next Level’

Terrorists attacked morning commuters at a subway stop, first spraying them with an unknown chemical and then shooting them as they fled, causing mass panic in the crowded station. Moments later, the police receive a report that a suicide bomber has detonated, causing more injuries.

DomPrep Journal: Train for Real Life

DomPrep Journal: The CDP Training Experience

CDP’s Director of Mission Readiness Initiatives (back row, left) accompanies members of the State Department delegation and the Turkish Ministry of Health. First row from left to right: Ellen Wynkopp, Department of State; Dr. Ed Thurn, Department of State; and Allen Cushen, Department of Defense lia

CDP Collaborates With State Department, Turkish Ministry Of Health

The Center for Domestic Preparedness gained a little more international flare last week when the Center’s staff hosted two members of the Turkish Ministry of Health who had sought out the CDP as a partner to share ideas and best practices for a training and simulation center they are establishing in Turkey.

140th Chemical Company to Train this Week

The CDP welcomes 45 members of the California National Guard’s 140th Chemical Company to training this week. The soldiers are divided up, 20 are taking the Hazardous Materials Technician for CBRNE Incidents (HT) while the other 25 are taking Emergency Responder Hazardous Materials Technician for CBRNE Incidents (ERHM).

See CDP Training In Action On YouTube

Responders interested in training at the Center for Domestic Preparedness can now view video descriptions of courses, as well as news stories and podcasts on CDP training and events on YouTube.

Indian Health Service Staffers Train For Mass Casualty Response

Owen Le Beau stood in the hospital parking lot watching as members of his Hospital Emergency Response team tried to cut away the clothing from a man who was injured in a terrorist bombing and may have been exposed to sarin gas, a powerful nerve agent. It’s not an easy task: personal protective suit hood limited their vision and the rubber gloves made something as simple as using a pair of scissors...

Students in the Vehicle-Borne IED Detection course use mirrors to exam the undercarriage of a car during a practical exercise. The course is an eight-hour, one-day course that is offered as part of several of the CDP’s law enforcement training programs.

CDP Now Offers Vehicle-Borne IED Detection Course

The Center for Domestic Preparedness has added a new course to its catalogue of law enforcement courses.

CDP Alumnus Issue 19

Welcome to the nineteenth issue of the CDP Alumnus, a quarterly newsletter for Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) students, alumni, and others interested in the CDP.