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Center for Domestic Preparedness

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Students operate a hospital emergency operations center during a simulated mass casualty incident in HCL course.
Snapshot: Emergency Operations

Students operate a hospital emergency operations center during a simulated mass casualty incident in this week’s Healthcare Leadership for Mass Casualty Incidents Course at the Center for Domestic Preparedness.

CDP Instructor Chad Hawkins.
In the Spotlight: Chad Hawkins

Chad Hawkins has been a hazardous materials instructor for the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) since 2017.

CDP offers online course in WebEOC basics.
CDP offers online course in WebEOC basics

FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) offers responders a wide variety of self-paced, web-based training courses which can be accessed anywhere, through a computer or mobile device.

Students learn about types of respiratory masks and their fit testing procedures during RP course.
Snapshot: Respiratory Protection Course

Students learn about types of respiratory masks and their fit testing procedures this week in the Center for Domestic Preparedness’ Respiratory Protection: Program Development and Administration Course.

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Integrated Capstone Event Expands Training for Responders

Long known for its unique, hands-on training classes for emergency response personnel, FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP), recently combined three courses and 108 respondersinto an Integrated Capstone Event (ICE), giving students from multiple disciplines the opportunity to experience the full impact of a mass casualty incident.

Modern Emergency Department Enhances Training at CDP

FEMA's Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) reopened its hospital Emergency Department (ED) for training in late January. Five months after renovations began the 8,000 square foot area features expanded training space and improved technologies to enhance medical surge training for CDP students.

CDP Training Helped Communities Prepare for Real World Pandemic

"The CDP pandemic training gave us the insight to educate our employees and local fire departments on the pandemic issue. It helped us prepare our institution in ordering supplies and having the masks, gloves and sanitizers on hand. We all knew this was going to happen, we just didn't know when. This has played out just like the [exercises] we did in Anniston. But even faster than expected." -Bob ...

The exterior of St. John's Regional Medical Center displays the danger patients and workers experienced during the storm
CDP Training Affects Tornado Response: Joplin's Hospital Evacuates

In May 2011, as tornado sirens sounded, hospital workers at St. John's Regional Medical Center rushed to pull 183 patients to safety as one of the largest tornadoes on record bared down on their southwestern Missouri city. Breaking glass and the roar of the powerful storm deafened the dark hospital as power was lost.

Hazardous Materials Course Focus on WMD Attack and Response

The threats against America and its citizens has become real, and the need for ready responders is ever more critical. Response personnel must remain vigilant, and skilled with the preparedness knowledge to protect the citizens and cities they serve.

Nathan Paddock helps earthquake victims in Haiti
CDP Student Puts Specialized Training To Use Following Haiti Earthquake

My Name is Nathan Paddock. I work for the Unity Health System Emergency Center in Rochester, N.Y. In 2009 I attended the Hospital Emergency Response Training for Mass Casualty Incidents (HERT) course, Hands-On Training for CBRNE Incidents (HOT) course, and most recently graduated from the Hazard Assessment and Response Management for CBRNE Incidents (HARM) course. In February 2010, I had the oppor...

RAD Operations Training Improves Radiological Response

The recent earthquakes and subsequent radiological impacts in Japan have increased the awareness and interest in how communities respond to radioactive incidents. Despite the recent increased attention on radiological hazards, training for such a potential incident has been happening at the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) for the past four years.

CDP, AFC Offers Pro Board Certification

The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP), located in Anniston, Ala., recently teamed with the Alabama Fire College (AFC) to offer Pro Board certifications to eligible first responders attending the Emergency Responder Hazardous Materials Technician for CBRNE (ERHM) incidents course. The Pro Board accreditation for the CDP curriculum under the umbrella of the AFC program provides an opportunity f...

The city of Minot, N.D. experienced the worst flooding in over 130 years in June 2011.
CDP Training Vital to North Dakota Flood Response

As Bill Brown received flood condition updates in June 2011, city officials were preparing for the worst overflow in more than 130 years. Brown, a retired captain with the Minot Police Department and now the Southwest Regional Emergency Response Coordinator for the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services, was making arrangements to staff the city's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and coord...

Colorado responder Bill Mayfield inspects his protective mask as his team prepares to conduct scenario-based operations in a hazardous environment with suspected Weapons of Mass Destruction
Colorado Responder Credits CDP Training with Response Success

Colorado Responder Bill Mayfield has attended eight specialized training courses at FEMA's Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) and has an impressive multi-disciplinary background in healthcare, fire fighting, emergency management, and hazardous materials.