The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) is a federal organization that provides preparedness training for emergency responders. In fact, they are the primary trainer of emergency response personnel. Below explains more about the CDP and why they are so important.
Overview of the CDP
The idea for the CDP originally started within the US. Army Chemical School during the 1950’s. As time went by, both state and federal officials agreed that there should be a federally operated site that provided training for civilian emergency response personnel. In the late 1990’s, the CDP was managed by the Department of Justice, but in 2003 it was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security. In 2007, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) took control of the program. The CDP is located on a former Army base in Anniston, Alabama. The CDP has three main facilities. First, the main CDP site. Second, the COBRA Facility for Chemical, Ordnance, Biological and Radiological Training. Third, the Noble Training Facility for health care providers.
CDPs Major Partners
The CDP collaborates with many partners of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC). Original members of the NDPC include the Louisiana State University’s Academy of Counter-Terrorist Education; the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology; Texas A&M University’s National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center; and the Department of Energy’s National Exercise, Test, and Training Center located in Nevada. Since then, Colorado’s Transportation Technology Center and the University of Hawaii’s Center of Excellence for Natural Disaster Preparedness Training have joined. The CDP also partners with different agencies, such as the Emergency Management Institute, the National Fire Academy and the National Training and Education Division.
Purpose of the CDP
The Center for Domestic Preparedness is tasked with training emergency personnel how to prevent and respond to a variety of public safety dangers, such as biological, chemical, radiological and explosive incidents. The CDP provides 10 basic training programs and eight additional programs, while member institutions provide specific training programs regarding their field of expertise.
Programs and Courses Offered by the CDP
The main programs include Fire Service, Law Enforcement, Hazardous Materials Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Services and Public Health and Safety. For example, the Emergency Management discipline teaches responders about responding to Weapons of Mass Destruction incidents. The Fire Service discipline is geared towards firefighters that educate about or fight and prevent fires. On the other hand, the Governmental Administrative program is designed to help government officials manage public health and welfare during incidents. Finally, courses are also offered regarding agriculture, education, information technology and search and rescue.
The CDP offers over 100 courses covering every possible preparedness topic. Course topics include Incident Command, Field Force Operations, Respiratory Protection, Crime Scene Management and Law Enforcement Protective Measures. They also provide courses about Active Shooter Threats, Suicide Bomb Attacks, Environmental Health Training and Hospital Emergency Response Training.
Every class teaches students the basic skills needed to handle specific types of emergency scenarios. For example, the Incident Command class is designed for all emergency personnel, from paramedics to public officials to law enforcement officers. The three day course provides students with the necessary tools and knowledge to properly manage a crisis. Students learn how to establish a command center, set up operations, conduct vulnerability assessments and develop corresponding action plans.
The CDP is the federal government’s primary program to train civilian personnel on how to properly respond to and handle different types of major emergencies. The Center for Domestic Preparedness plays an important role in keeping the nation safe.