Continued on page 2 >>

Homeland Security Conference and Fire School page 3

Recertification of AWR 187-W page 4

New Course AWR 225 CBRNE Response page 7

Volume 4, Summer 2011

Rural Preparedness QuarterlyTraining and Information for America’s Rural Communities

InsideSecurity Planning for One of the Nation’s Most Popular Sports The Bristol Motor Speedway in

Bristol, TN (population approxi-mately 25,000), hosts NASCAR-sanctioned races two weekends a year. Despite its rural location in the eastern Tennessee Mountains, the Speedway routinely sells out of its 160,000 seats reserved for the Sprint Cup Series, which are often some of the most coveted tickets in all of NASCAR.

During race weekends, the small town of Bristol booms to one of the largest cities in the state.

For some, thoughts of racing at Bristol Motor Speedway invoke images of drivers knocking each other out of the way as they blaze the trail to victory. For those involved in law enforcement, secu-rity, and event planning, thoughts turn toward hosting a safe and successful

Photo: David Hobson

2 RDPC www.ruraltraining.org

>> Continued from page 1

Crash Course

event involving more than 160,000 enthusiastic spectators.

The security issues associated with such a crowd has a significant impact on risk assessment and management. To prepare for events of this magnitude, law enforcement and security person-nel often turn to the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium’s (RDPC) MGT 335 Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals.

This two-day course educates small and rural public safety personnel and local officials on security concerns for events that might overwhelm resources, describes considerations associated with planning an event, and reinforces the importance of the security planning required to execute a safe and effective event, regardless of the size.

Dede Hash, Vice President of Safety and Assessment Management for Bristol Motor Speedway, said, “Because I put together the plan for the [Bristol Motor] Speedway and am responsible for security and coordination of events, I enjoyed the course and thought it was helpful in many ways.” One of the most valuable parts, said Hash, was the risk assessment portion of the course.

“We are lucky here [at the Speedway] to have such great cooperation of all the stakeholders in the community and throughout the state and neighboring Virginia as well,” Hash continued. “Every-one works together to make the races go smoothly. In events this big, cooperation is the only way to get it done right.”

When more than 160,000 people come into a locality, it also can create unique security challenges and threats. Risk assessments are major elements in event security, and sports venues like the speedways are no exception. For those jurisdictions who need a starting point or simply want to update their plan, students are given access to an event security planning software tool which generates a basic plan that can be further tailored for any event.

Each component of the event must be evaluated, and with an event such as a NASCAR race, major components to consider include traffic management, parking, weather, crowd control, and re-admittance.

Tommy Castle, Battalion Chief of Bristol (TN) Fire and Rescue, said, “This class has built on and reinforced others I’ve taken in planning and incident command. Classes like this bring the team concept together, and help me get the perspective of other agencies. [These classes] give me the confidence that I can step in as a section commander in any situation and do a good job.”

Effective security also reassures the

www.ruraltraining.org RDPC 3

public without detracting from the event itself or excessively disrupting the attendees’ enjoyment of the event. Adequate training and placement of key personnel are critical to ensure effec-tive responses to incidents. For sporting facilities, attaining balance between effective security management and an enjoyable experience is a central issue. MGT 335 allows those involved in event planning to have a plan in place for dealing with potential incidents. Effec-tive strategies are needed for communi-cating with event attendees about critical security information, entry and exit policies, items not allowed at the venue, parking regulations, and so forth.

Mike Carrier, Assistant Chief and Training Officer with Bristol (TN) Fire and Rescue, said, “I am always looking for good courses for my department that will help them plan and give direction

to others on the job. I thought this was a great course when I took it, and that’s why I requested that it come to Bristol. We will ask for more courses in the future.”

Events require extensive planning, meticulous communication at many levels, and a comprehensive approach to ensure success. Having resources in place and being ready to implement the security plan is key. Planning and prepar-ing for security incidents that could occur during an event regardless of size results in a safe, effective, pleasurable event. For more information on the RDPC or MGT 335 Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals please visit the RDPC website at http://www.ruraltraining.org/.

Homeland Security Conference and State Fire School

Each year, Bluegrass Community and Technical College in Lexington,

Kentucky, plays host to the Kentucky Homeland Security Conference and State Fire School. The purpose of the conference is to educate first responders and emergency managers, particularly rural firefighters, about new innova-tions and techniques that can be useful in their jurisdictions. Various “learn-by-doing” training sessions are available to attendees of the conference and range from 100-level to 500-level. The 100-level sessions are equivalent to a freshmen-level course, while the 500-level sessions are equivalent to senior management courses.

According to Tom Arnold, Kentucky State Training Program Coordinator, the purpose of the yearly conference is twofold: to allow firefighters to experi-ence specialized training not offered by individual fire departments; and to provide an opportunity for firefighters from different departments to network with each other in order to share ideas and experiences.

The 82nd Annual Kentucky Home-land Security Conference and State Fire School, held from June 8-12 this year, offered the opportunity for the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC) to deliver one of their newest courses, AWR 209 Dealing with the Media, to attendees. Arnold said, “The Fire School committee determined that Kentucky Fire Service needed a class that

would help them to communicate effec-tively to the public using various media outlets.” The one-day course provides rural responders, many of whom may one day act as Public Information Officer (PIO), the opportunity to have exposure to essential tools needed in order to effectively deal with the media. Arnold further stated that one of the benefits of offering AWR 209 at the conference is that it “fills a need within the fire service” even though it is “not a traditional, standardized type of firefighter train-ing course.” Through this course, first responders gain an understanding of what the media is looking for at the scene of an emergency, how to leverage the media in public awareness campaigns, as well as how to give interviews that work.

This course is one of many Depart-ment of Homeland Security-certified courses made available by the RDPC. The courses range from management-level courses, to awareness-level and perfor-mance-level courses. For a complete list of courses and other valuable informa-tion regarding the RDPC, please visit the RDPC website at: www.ruraltraining.org, or email the Consortium at info@ruraltraining.org. To request this or any other RDPC training, please contact the RDPC at (877) 855-7372 or complete the training request form at http://www.ruraltraining.org/request-course. To regis-ter for online training, go to http://www.ruraltraining.org/training/online.

“I am always looking for good courses for my department that will help them plan and give direc-tion to others on the job.” -- Mike Carrier, Assistant Chief and Training Officer

4 RDPC www.ruraltraining.org

In each newsletter, the Rural Domestic Prepared-ness Consortium (RDPC) highlights how first responders across the nation have benefited from the free training provided by this unique program.

In this edition, we focus on Milton Agay, of Berrien Springs Michigan Police

Department, who recently completed the RDPC’s MGT 338 Risk and Vulnerability Assessments for Rural Communities.

“[There is] no other way agencies our size would be able to receive that kind of training without the RDPC bringing it to us,” said Agay. “With two nuclear power plants, we have high-risk infrastructure to watch out for.”

Berrien Springs Police Department found the course so valuable, they quickly followed up by bringing two other RDPC courses, AWR 148 Crisis Management for School-Based Incidents: Partnering Rural Law Enforcement and Local School Systems and MGT 335 Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals, to their community.

“All three classes were excellent and had knowledgeable instructors,” Agay said.

Each course provided by the RDPC is tuition-free and aims to help partici-pants prepare for unique rural challenges they may face as first responders. For more information, please visit the RDPC website at http://www.ruraltraining.org/. If you have any comments you would like to share, please email the RDPC at info@ruraltraining.org.

RDPC Recertifies AWR 187-W Terrorism and WMD Awareness in the Workplace

Everything must evolve in order to withstand the ever-changing world.

As the threats of man-made and natural disasters change, so too must the body of curriculum presented to the nation’s first responders to help them prepare for and respond to such events. Every three years, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Manage-ment Agency (DHS/FEMA) requires its first responder training programs to undergo recertification in order to make sure the material remains fresh and relevant for all students.

AWR 187-W Terrorism and WMD Awareness in the Workplace, a web-based “Terrorism 101” course offered

by the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC), was recertified by DHS/FEMA on July 15, 2011, after undergoing course updates, which included updating content and ensur-ing the course is in line with the latest guidelines and national standards.

For AWR 187 Terrorism and WMD Awareness in the Workplace, the content was only slightly updated to reflect current trends in terrorism, thus making sure students have the most up-to-date information on threats and actions needed to recognize and report poten-tial incidents.

This course is one of many DHS-certified courses made available by the

RDPC. The courses range from manage-ment-level courses, to awareness-level and performance-level courses. For a complete list of courses and other valuable information regarding the RDPC, please visit the RDPC website at: www.ruraltraining.org, or email the Consortium at info@ruraltraining.org . To request this or any other RDPC training, please contact the RDPC at (877) 855-7372 or complete the train-ing request form at http://www.rural-training.org/request-course. To register for online training, go to http://www.ruraltraining.org/training/online.

RDPC

Milton Agay, Berrien Springs, MI

www.ruraltraining.org RDPC 5

NEWMGT 383 Emergency Operations Plans for Rural Jurisdictions

Tuition-free for Qualifying Rural JurisdictionsFor more information or to schedule training contact RDPC at:877-855-RDPC (7372) • info@ruraltraining.org • www.ruraltraining.orgPrepare For The Worst, Train To Be The Best

FREE TRAINING

This is an eight-hour, management and planning level, instructor-led course designed to provide emergency managers and rural first responders with the knowledge and skills to develop an emergency operations plan (EOP) for their respective jurisdictions. With the increased threat of natural disasters and terrorist incidents, it is important (and in some cases a requirement for funding) for rural emergency managers to have an EOP in place. MGT 383 Emergency Operations Plans for Rural Jurisdictions encourages a proactive plan of action that allows for a stable, reliable EOP to carry a rural community through any potential incident. It also assists with understanding how to integrate standard operating procedures into the EOP framework.

6 RDPC www.ruraltraining.org

Hawaii

32

7102

306

57

65

121

43

169267

195

369234156

66

304

10116

125

51131

61113

16

3

4

508

8833

289

204

6 20

23750

162

66268

596 D.C.

1

22

37

256

564

28

2

= >50

= 11-50

= 1-10

Classes Offered and Students Trained Top Five Disciplines Trained

Course Student Completions

MGT 335 Event Security Planning 441

MGT 335-W Event Security Planning (Web-based) 127

AWR 147 Rail Car Incident Response (partnership with Iowa Fire Training Bureau) 50

PER 281-W Terrorism Prevention Certificate for Law Enforcement (Web-based) 93

AWR 187-W Terrorism and WMD Awareness (Web-based) 531

MGT 338 Risk and Vulnerability Assessments for Rural Communities 267

MGT 339 Resource Inventory Management for Rural Communities 177

MGT 381 Business Continuity and Emergency Management 217

PER 280 Strengthening Cooperative Efforts Among Public/Private Sector 79

AWR 144 Port and Vessel Security for Public Safety and Maritime Personnel 288

AWR 147 Rail Car Incident Response 704

AWR 148 Crisis Management for School-Based Incidents 1,086

AWR 148-W Crisis Management for School-Based Incidents (Web-based) 129

AWR 208-W Crisis Management in a Rural School (Web-based) 97

AWR 209 Dealing with the Media 744

TOTAL 5,030

Course Completions by State/Territory

RDPC Training Numbers January - June 2011

Law Enforcement - 1,631Other - 921Fire Safety - 811 Emergency Management - 486Emergency Medical Services - 240

www.ruraltraining.org RDPC 7

RDPC Academic Partners

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RDPC Announces New Course

AWR 225 CBRNE Response

A small, rural town is darkened at night, most of its inhabitants resting after a

hard day’s work. In the dead of the night, a semi truck, tires shredded, sparks flying as the rims spin fruitlessly against the pavement, careens uncontrollably towards the guardrails. The semi truck tips over, and with it the tanker, spilling the tanker’s contents on to the surrounding roadside. The tanker is carrying cyanide, which is a highly toxic chemical. The first responders, unequipped and untrained for any kind of chemical spill, are at a loss as how to contain the event, ensuring the damage is mitigated and lives are potentially saved.

The Rural Domestic Response Consortium is now offering AWR 225 CBRNE Response for Rural Respond-ers. This 8-hour awareness-level course provides rural first responders with an introduction to various types of chemi-cal, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) materials and agents. The course is designed to give the first responder the ability to safely assess the scene and determine whether it requires a CBRNE response, allowing the responder to recognize when a situation requires

a defensive response (isolate and deny entry) until operations-level personnel arrive on the scene. This course imparts a basic understanding of dangers involved in CBRNE incidents; instruction in the use of field guides; the steps involved in safe scene assessment; and the compo-nents of CBRNE Operations. In addition, this course provides participants with an overview of the Incident Command System and information pertaining to additional support resources from local, State, and Federal agencies. Activities

presented in this course afford partici-pants with opportunities to apply critical thinking and decision-making skills. Filmed scenarios presented at the end of this course require participants to combine instruction from the entire course and put it into practice.

To find out more information about the course, please visit http://www.rural-training.org/courses/awr-225. To request this course or any other course for your area, fill out the form located here: http://www.ruraltraining.org/request-course .

This project was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number 2006-GD-T6-K001 administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Training and Education Division (NTED). Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the authors and do not represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

To schedule training contact the RDPC • info@ruraltraining.org • 877-855-7372Register online at www.ruraltraining.org

RDPC TRaining EvEnTsSep 6 • AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural Emergency Responders • Springfield, IL

Sep 8 • AWR 147 Rail Car Incident Response • Dover, DE

Sep 9 • PER 280 Emergency Response: Strengthening Cooperative Efforts Among Public Safety and Private Sector Entities • Muskegon, MI

Sep 10 • AWR 147 Rail Car Incident Response • Pillager, MN

Sep 12-13 • MGT 335 Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals • Urbana, IL

Sep 14 • PER 280 Emergency Response: Strengthening Cooperative Efforts Among Public Safety and Private Sector Entities • Norman, OK

Sep 14-15 • MGT 335 Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals • Appleton, WI

Sep 15 (2 classes) • PER 280 Emergency Response: Strengthening Cooperative Efforts Among Public Safety and Private Sector Entities • Norman, OK

Sep 15-16 • MGT 335 Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals • Oriskany, NY

Sep 17 • AWR 147 Rail Car Incident Response • Niceville, FL

Sep 17 • AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural Emergency Responders • Machias, ME

Sep 19-20 • MGT 335 Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals • Salisbury, NC

Sep 21 • MGT 383 Emergency Operations Plans for Rural Jurisdictions • Warrensburg, MO

Sep 21 • AWR 148 Crisis Management for School-based Incidents: Partnering Rural Law Enforcement & the Local School Systems • Edwardsville, KS

Sep 21 • AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural Emergency Responders • Pomona, NY (half-day split session)

Sep 22 • AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural Emergency Responders • Pomona, NY (half-day split session)

Sep 22 • AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural Emergency Responders • Pomona, NY

Sep 22 • MGT 339 Resource Inventory Management for Rural Communities • Beaver, WV

Sep 22 • MGT 339 Resource Inventory Management for Rural Communities • Rome, GA

Sep 23 • AWR 148 Crisis Management for School-based Incidents: Partnering Rural Law Enforcement & the Local School Systems • Batavia, OH

Sep 23 • PILOT 2: Security Threat Group Identification and Assessment for Rural Law Enforcement Officers • Durham, NC

Sep 24 • AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural Emergency Responders • Friendship, OH

Sep 26-27 • MGT 335 Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals • Omaha, NE

Sep 27 • MGT 381 Business Continuity and Emergency Management • Prestonsburg, KY

Sep 28 • AWR 148 Crisis Management for School-based Incidents: Partnering Rural Law Enforcement & the Local School Systems • Sidney, NE

Sep 28 • AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural Emergency Responders • Glasgow, MT

Sep 29 • PILOT 3 (DHS pilot): Security Threat Group Identification and Assessment for Rural Law Enforcement Officers • Durham, NC

Sep 30 • AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural Emergency Responders • Worton, MD

Oct 3-4 • MGT 335 Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals • North Mankato, MN

Oct 4-5 • MGT 335 Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals • Deadwood, SD

Oct 5 • MGT 339 Resource Inventory Management for Rural Communities • North Mankato, MN

Oct 5 • AWR 148 Crisis Management for School-based Incidents: Partnering Rural Law Enforcement & the Local School Systems • Holden, MA

Oct 6-7 • MGT 335 Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals • Reidsville, NC

Oct 6 • AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural Emergency Responders • Deadwood, SD

Oct 6 • AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural Emergency Responders • Chinle, AZ

Oct 7 • PER 280 Emergency Response: Strengthening Cooperative Efforts Among Public Safety and Private Sector Entities • Toledo, IA

Oct 10 • AWR 148 Crisis Management for School-based Incidents: Partnering Rural Law Enforcement & the Local School Systems • Clinton, MS

Oct 11 • AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural Emergency Responders • Dover, DE

Oct 11 • AWR 148 Crisis Management for School-based Incidents: Partnering Rural Law Enforcement & the Local School Systems • Lancaster, OH

Oct 12 • AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural Emergency Responders • Warwick, RI

Oct 15 • AWR 148 Crisis Management for School-based Incidents: Partnering Rural Law Enforcement & the Local School Systems • Winnebago, IL

Oct 17-18 • MGT 335 Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals • Jackson, OH

Oct 19 • AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural Emergency Responders • Sidney, OH

Oct 19 • AWR 144 Port and Vessel Security for Public Safety and Maritime Personnel • Houma, LA

Oct 19 • AWR 147 Rail Car Incident Response • Edwardsville, KS

OCT 21 • MGT 338 Risk and Vulnerability Assessments for Rural Communities • O’Fallon, IL

Oct 21 • AWR 148 Crisis Management for School-based

Oct 22 • AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural Emergency Responders • Castroville, TX

Oct 22 • AWR 147 Rail Car Incident Response • Louisville, KY

Oct 25 • MGT 338 Risk and Vulnerability Assessments for Rural Communities • Moundsville, WV

Oct 25 • PER 280 Emergency Response: Strengthening Cooperative Efforts Among Public Safety and Private Sector Entities • Naples, FL

Oct 26 • MGT 381 Business Continuity and Emergency Management • Naples, FL

Oct 26 • AWR 147 Rail Car Incident Response • Hood River, OR

Oct 26 • AWR 148 Crisis Management for School-based Incidents: Partnering Rural Law Enforcement & the Local School Systems • Greensburg, PA

Oct 27-28 • MGT 335 Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals • Sturgis, MI

Oct 27 • AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural Emergency Responders • Darlington, WI

Oct 29 • MGT 338 Risk and Vulnerability Assessments for Rural Communities • Castroville, TX

Nov 1 • AWR 148 Crisis Management for School-based Incidents: Partnering Rural Law Enforcement & the Local School Systems • Mountain Home, ID

Nov 1-2 • MGT 335 Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals • Rockledge, FL

Nov 3 • AWR 148 Crisis Management for School-based Incidents: Partnering Rural Law Enforcement & the Local School Systems • Rexburg, ID

Nov 3 • AWR 147 Rail Car Incident Response • Forsyth, GA

Nov 4 • AWR 147 Rail Car Incident Response • Forsyth, GA

Nov 7 • AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural Emergency Responders • Forsyth, GA

Nov 8 • AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural Emergency Responders • Forsyth, GA

Nov 9 • AWR 147 Rail Car Incident Response • Alliance, NE

Nov 9 • AWR 148 Crisis Management for School-based Incidents: Partnering Rural Law Enforcement & the Local School Systems • Story County, IA

Nov 14 • AWR 144 Port and Vessel Security for Public Safety and Maritime Personnel • Aberdeen, WA

Nov 19 • AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural Emergency Responders • Marion, IA

Dec 1-2 • MGT 335 Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals • Naples, FL

Dec 1 • AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A Short Course for Rural Emergency Responders - SAA Symposium • Anniston, AL