COBRATF passes CASARM audit

The Chemical, Ordnance, Biological and Radiological Training Facility (COBRATF) at FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) recently passed its annual Chemical Agent Standard Analytical Reference Material (CASARM) audit.

A quality assurance team from the U.S. Army’s Chemical Biological Center in Maryland reviewed administrative documents, various structural items, and the facility’s operational processes during the virtual inspection, which was conducted over 10 days in April. The audit is one of several routine examinations of the COBRATF by experts from the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and others.

The audit team said upon completion of the review that “The quality management system for chemical agent air monitoring at the COBRATF is functioning successfully and continues to demonstrate that the organization is meeting its stated quality objectives.” It also commended the COBRATF for several program advances, particularly how it conducts and documents its own internal inspections.

In a typical year, the CDP trains up to 2,500 civilian first responders a year to detect and operate in environments with chemical, biological and nuclear materials. It offers the only training in the nation for civilian responders with actual chemical agents and biological materials, which increase their confidence to deal with hazardous substances during real-world incidents.