Critical Decision Making for Complex Coordinated Attacks

This course offering is instructed by Louisiana State University's National Center for Biomedical Research and Training/Academy of Counter-Terrorist Education and hosted on the Center for Domestic Preparedness's campus. 

This course addresses the vulnerability of any community to a public safety situation, such as an active shooter at a shopping mall; a train derailment with hazardous chemicals; a bombing incident at a commercial district; a plane crash; or chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive attack. These attacks, known as complex coordinated attacks, involve multiple threats that often exceed conventional response tactics. These attacks require a joint response involving members from varying disciplines and jurisdictions. The course will enhance the response capabilities of participants by providing them with the knowledge and tools to enable effective response. 

This course is taught through a combination of classroom instruction and practical exercises. Among the topics covered during the classroom instruction are characteristics of a complex coordinated attack, public safety response considerations, command operations and strategies, and critical information about situational domain awareness. Several notable case studies are also presented to provide real-life examples of the characteristics of a complex coordinated attack. 

Featured practical exercises allow participants to interact with responders from other disciplines to effectively address a variety of complex coordinated attack scenarios. Participants will work together to identify critical considerations and command strategies. Further, these exercises encourage collaborative decision-making and rapid strategizing.

The target audience for the Direct Delivery version of this course includes:​​

Emergency responders: police, fire, and emergency medical services personnel, including those who are most likely to assume command at some point during a response to a complex coordinated attack.