Many disaster volunteers and their managers think terrorism is not a hazard they have to be concerned with.  History has shown us we need not only be alert to secondary devices, but multiple devices.  Service facilities (shelters, kitchens, clinics, application centers) with large numbers of disaster victims/clients are great secondary targets for terrorists.  These locations typically have a large concentration of people, are poorly protected, if at all, and serve anyone who shows up.  Even if your organization does not have facilities which serve large numbers of people, you may have terrorist target you are downwind of at home, work, school.... 

Management 310, Weapons of Mass Destruction Threat and Risk Assessment (MGT 310) is a management and planning level course of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) taught by Texas A&M University - Texas Engineering and Extension Service (TEEX) faculty. It teaches participants the DHS model of how to comprehensively assess your location for vulnerability to a weapons of mass destruction attack. 

The course delivery combines lecture, small group discussions, and multimedia scenarios to improve the emergency team's capability to prevent, react to, or recover from a terrorism incident. Participants will be formed into teams which will go to selected locations to perform a WMD threat and risk assessment. At the conclusion of the training, you will be able to:

• Use the Office of Grants & Training (G&T), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for WMD Assessment model to enhance decision making, planning, and teamwork,
• Identify and evaluate Potential Threat Elements and WMD in the area,
• Conduct basic and agricultural vulnerability assessments and identify capabilities to meet needs,
• Prioritize needs into one of five solution areas - planning, organization, equipment, training, and exercises. 

The 2-day pilot course is taught the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) of the Texas A&M University, http://www.TEEXWMDcampus.com. Texas A&M is a member of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC) http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/training_ndpc.htm. NDPC is the vehicle which DHS delivers and funds training to local responders. Other members of NDPC are: Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston, Alabama, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMIMT)("New Mexico Tech"), Louisiana State University (LSU), and the Department of Energy's Nevada Test Site (NTS). Locally, our training is accessed and approved by the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA).  

Dates - July 25-26, 2009 (Sat.-Sun.). 

Location - South Bay.  Exact location will be given to people admitted to the class.  No drop-ins are allowed.  An application process is required. 

Faculty - TEEX faculty typically include retired Fire and Police Chiefs, Colonels and Captains (O-6) and other senior WMD emergency management officials.  Vince Rose and Deborah Harris will teach this course.  (Note - Faculty are subject to change without notice). 

Cost - DHS funds the course on a grant. There is no cost to participants.

Certificate - Participants will earn a TEEX/DHS certificate after passing a quiz.

Who is Eligible to Take the Class - Members of these groups:

have been authorized to apply for this course.  In the case where the applicant is a member of multiple organizations, mention this on your application.  

There are certainly many other worthy groups.  In a few cases, there are groups which are authorized to apply but their leadership was non-responsive.  If you are a member of such an organization, you may not apply without your organization's leadership participation with us. There are many other groups who would like training but unfortunately, they have not been authorized to apply.  In one case, an authorized group which we spent 8 months trying to reach told us they wanted to send people to this pilot, but were unwilling to share in the work it take to put on the training and also wanted the expenses of their volunteers reimbursed.  Applicants may not apply as Individuals.  Please do not ask for exceptions.     

All participants must be U.S. citizens, 18 years of age or older, and not have a criminal record.

As this is a 2-day pilot, shortened from the normal 3-days, participants to this pilot will be asked to have take a DHS WMD Awareness course (AWR 160) and IS-100 prior to class. See the Home page of this website for more information.     

Sample Syllabus for T&RA v3.5

Objectives

Module 0: Welcome and Introduction

Course Objective                                             

Upon completion of this program, participants will develop through the use of an interactive workshop model the skills necessary to conduct comprehensive risk assessments and identify administrative and operational needs. The process taught in this program will use instruments developed by the Preparedness Directorate.

Module 1: Jurisdictional Assessments Overview

Terminal Objective

Review the domestic preparedness assessment program provided by the Department of Homeland Security.

Enabling Objectives

• Describe the history, mission and objectives, funding, and organizational structure of the domestic preparedness assessment program
• Describe the benefits of multi-discipline working groups
• Preview the Threat & Risk Assessment process

Module 2: Terrorism and Threat Assessment

Terminal Objective

Conduct a threat assessment and determine the Jurisdictional Threat Rating.

Enabling Objectives

• Define terrorism, PTE and WMD
• Discuss motivations and potential targets
• Identify and describe types of CBRNE
• Assess a PTE in accordance with the threat assessment criteria

Module 3: Vulnerability Assessments

Terminal Objective

Participants will be able to conduct site surveys of selected facilities and determine strength and vulnerabilities relevant to the National Response Plan (NRP)/CBRNE.

Enabling Objectives

• Conduct a site survey and complete the Individual Target Vulnerability Summary
• Describe the seven vulnerability factors
• Discuss strategies to improve potential target security
• Develop and deliver a presentation on site strengths and vulnerabilities

Module 4: Planning Factors

Terminal Objective

Determine incident planning factor values from plausible NRP/CBRNE scenarios.

Enabling Objectives

• List and apply the planning factors process for the Basic (VA) and Agricultural (AVA) Vulnerability Assessments.
• Develop a plausible NRP/CBRNE incident with planning factor values modeled after the DHS National Planning Scenarios made specific to your jurisdictional sites and facilities.

Module 5: Capabilities - Based Planning

Terminal Objective

Determine the Desired and Current Task Capabilities to respond to potential All-Hazard scenarios.

Enabling Objectives

Determine

• Jurisdiction responsibilities & tasks
• Emergency response disciplines
• Desired Tasks and Capabilities (utilizing the Universal Task List and Target Capabilities List)
• NRP / CBRNE Response Levels
• Current Capabilities

Module 6: Needs Assessment

Terminal Objective

Determine the Discipline and Jurisdiction Needs to enhance emergency response for an NRP/CBRNE All-Hazards incident.

Enabling Objectives

• Understand the relationship of the NRP/CBRNE scenarios, planning factors, capability assessments, and solution areas
• Determine the local jurisdiction needs in the five solution areas (POETE)