TERRORISM & WMD TRAINING

Incident Response to Terrorist Bombings (IRTB) Performance Level

Course Length:

4 Hours (Classroom)

Course Goal:

Provides basic information on explosive and incendiary devices that could be used as terrorist weapons.

Course Description:

Classroom topics include:

• Understanding the terrorist threat
• Improvised explosive devices (IEDs)
• Safety issues
• Departmental or agency policies to ensure compliance with local requirements

Certifying Agency:

U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security and New Mexico Tech's Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center (EMRTC)

Prevention and Response to Suicide Bombing Incidents (PRSBI) Performance Level

Course Length:

4 Hours (Classroom)

Course Goal:

Provides basic information on explosive and incendiary devices that could be used as terrorist weapons.

Course Description:

Classroom topics include:

• Understanding the terrorist threat
• Improvised explosive devices (IEDs)
• Safety issues
• Departmental or agency policies to ensure compliance with local requirement

Certifying Agency:

U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security and New Mexico Tech's Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center (EMRTC)

Terrorism Awareness and Prevention (TAP)

Course Length:

1 or 2 Hours (Classroom)

Course Goal:

Terrorism Awareness and Prevention is designed for use by law enforcement crime prevention or community service officers to encourage citizens to become participants in their own security by providing them information to dispel fears, enhance alertness and awareness, and promote useful reports to authorities.

Course Description:

Topics in the Terrorism Awareness and Prevention presentations for civilians include:

• Introduction to Terrorism: A basic review of what terrorism is and why/how terrorists operate. This section lays the groundwork for understanding that terrorism is about committing crimes and not about having different beliefs.
• Terrorist Threat: Gives the instructor the option of discussing different groups in Pennsylvania that have been associated with terrorist acts. This section places emphasis on understanding the difference between legal dissent and criminal (terrorist) acts by "radical" elements of certain movements.
• Community Protective Measures: With an acknowledgement that recognizing suspicious activity is not a hard science, this section offers some common sense things to look for when suspecting suspicious activity.
• Reporting Procedures: Understanding that a key to terrorism awareness is the providing the proper information to law enforcement to allow them to provide a proper response, this section offers some basic guidelines and exercises on proper reporting techniques.

Certifying Agency:

The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) & The Pennsylvania Dept. of Health

Understanding and Planning for School Bombing Incidents (UPSBI) Awareness Level

Course Length:

4 Hours (Classroom)

Course Goal:

Designed for First Responders and school personnel who may respond to school-based incidents. Course methodology includes study text, multimedia participant activities. Participants who successfully complete the course earn 0.4 Continuing Education Credits (CEUs). Multiple resources on threat assessment, school security, and critical response actions.

Course Description:

Understanding the Threat discusses components of a school response plan including a bomb incident response plan. The section on threat and threat assessment includes warning signs of aggressive student behavior. Responding to the Threat describes the types of threats and defines critical actions for documenting and responding. In addition, types of incident scenarios, critical response actions for each type of scenario, and the factors to consider in determining the most appropriate evacuation action are defined and described. The concepts of time, distance, and shielding discussed in the module are applicable to a wide variety of school incidents. Recognizing Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) explains the major components of an IED and safety measures to consider with a suspicious device. Developing Preventive Measures discusses the importance of prevention and mitigation. Prevention includes school security assessments and security measures that serve to increase security and safety. Mitigation is what schools do to reduce or eliminate risk and includes implementing critical components of a bomb response plan such as training and exercising the plan.

Certifying Agency:

U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security and New Mexico Tech's Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center (EMRTC)