Response-Hazardous Materials and Search and Rescue

The WMD/Terrorism Awareness for Emergency Responders course provides a basic awareness of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) hazards; how to use the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG); and how to prepare individuals to lessen further injuries or property losses. Awareness-level training does not certify a responder to perform ongoing operations at an incident.This course focuses on training responders to meet the requirements established in Chapter 4 Competencies for Hazardous Materials/WMD Awareness Level Personnel (NFPA 472)” and Chapter 5 “Professional Qualifications for Hazardous Materials/WMD Awareness Level Personnel (NFPA 1072)” of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 470, Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Standard for Responders (2022 edition). This course also covers Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §1910.120(q)(6)(i), and the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP), NIPP 2013: Partnering for Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience. Show less

The Standardized Awareness Training course provides a basic awareness of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) hazards; how to use the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG); and how to prepare individuals to lessen further injuries or property losses. Awareness-level training does not certify a responder to perform ongoing operations at an incident.This course focuses on training responders to meet the requirements established in Chapter 4 “Competencies for hazardous Materials/WMD Awareness Level Personnel (NFPA 472)” and Chapter 5 “Professional Qualifications for Hazardous Materials/WMD Awareness Level Personnel (NFPA 1072)” of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 470, Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Standard for Responders (2022 edition). This course also covers Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §1910.120(q)(6)(i), and the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP), NIPP 2013: Partnering for Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience. Show less

The Operational Level Response to HazMat/WMD Incidents course focuses on the special challenges faced by emergency responders at the operations level in dealing with a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, or Explosive (CBRNE) incident. Upon completion, participants will be able to respond defensively to a CBRNE incident.
This course focuses on training responders to meet the requirements established in Chapter 6 “Competencies for Hazardous Materials/WMD Operations Level Personnel (NFPA 472),” Chapter 7 “Professional Qualifications for Hazardous Materials/WMD Operations Level Personnel (NFPA 1072),” and Job Performance Requirement (JPR) 9.2 “Personal Protective Equipment” in Chapter 9 “Professional Qualifications for Hazardous Materials/WMD Operations Level Responders Assigned Mission-Specific Responsibilities (NFPA 1072)” of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 470, Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)Standard for Responders (2022 edition). Show less

Personal Protective Measures for Biological Events is a one-day course focusing on the challenges faced by first responders and clinical health care professionals in prehospital and hospital environments as they deal with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) needs and potential contamination issues while dealing with highly infectious diseases.

The course provides participants with an overview of PPE and includes experiential learning activities on donning and doffing Level C PPE and technical decontamination. Additionally, participants review the different types of decontamination. Show less

This two-hour online course is intended to provide a general overview of FEMA processes and practices for entry-level National Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Response System members. Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to successfully describe the basic functions of a US&R Task Force, the general requirements to be on a US&R Task Force, as well as safety and post-deployment considerations. Show less

This 16-hour online component is intended to provide Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Task Force personnel with the knowledge and skills necessary to perform technical search functions for a US&R team during a disaster or a planned event. You will learn the essential requirements necessary to perform all physical, visual, and technical search functions. Upon completion of the computer based training (CBT) component, you will be able to take part in the Instructor-Led Training (ILT) component of the Technical Search Specialist course.
This course is the prerequisite course that must be completed before students can attend the Technical Search Specialist – (ILT) course, which is 24 hours of face-to-face course taught over three days.
The Technical Search Specialist – (ILT) course code is 9P1231. Register now for the Technical Search Specialist – Instructor-Led Training. Show less

This 16-hour online Computer-Based Training (CBT) course is intended to provide Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Task Force personnel with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to select, train, and work with current and future disaster search canines. This course is appropriate for canine handlers that will work with either Live-Find (LF) or Human Remains Detection (HRD) canine during search and rescue operations as part of US&R Task Force. Upon completion of this CBT course, students will be able to take part in the Instructor-Led Training component of the Canine Search Specialist course.
This course is the prerequisite course that must be completed before students can attend the Canine Search Specialist – Instructor Led Training course, which is 24 hours of face-to-face course taught over three days.
The Canine Search Specialist – Instructor Led Training course code is 9P1331. Register now in the Canine Search Specialist – Instructor-Led Training Show less

This 11-hour online Computer-Based Training course component is intended to provide Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Task Force personnel with the knowledge and skills necessary to perform logistics functions for a US&R team during a disaster or a planned event. You will learn the essential requirements of providing support, re-supply, transportation, sustainment, and maintenance of an equipment cache. Upon completion of the CBT component, you will be able to take part in the Instructor-Led Training (ILT) component of the Logistics Specialist course. 
This course is the prerequisite course that must be completed before students can attend the Logistics Specialist – ILT, which is a 32-hour face-to-face course taught over four days.
The Logistics Specialist – ILT course code is 9P4131. Click here to register in the Logistics Specialist – ILT. Show less

This 8-hour online Computer Based Training (CBT)
course component is intended to provide Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Task
Force personnel with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform
hazardous materials specialist functions for a US&R team during a disaster
or planned event. The participants of the CBT will learn how to prepare,
deploy, demobilize, and return to readiness.  Upon completion of the CBT, you will be able to take part in the Instructor-Led Training (ILT)
component of the Hazardous Material Specialist course. Upon completion
of the CBT and ILT Hazmat Specialist Courses the participants will be able to
successfully perform the duties of a Hazardous Material Specialist for a
US&R Team. Show less

This eight-hour online Computer-Based Training (CBT) course is intended to provide Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Task Force personnel with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of a Planning Team Manager and/or Technical Information Specialist on a US&R Task Force.  Upon completion of this CBT, students will be able to take part in the Instructor-Led Training (ILT) component of the Planning Team Training course.
This course is the prerequisite course that must be completed before students can attend the Planning Team Training – Instructor Led Training (course code 9P6131) course, which is 32 hours of face-to-face course taught over four days. Show less

This eight-hour online Computer-Based Training course is intended to provide Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Task Force personnel with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform Task Force Leader (TFL) functions for a US&R team during a disaster or a planned event. Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to successfully describe the duties and responsibilities of a TFL on an US&R team, and be able to take part in the Instructor-Led Training component of the Task Force Leader course.

This course is the prerequisite that must be completed before students can attend the Task Force Leader – Instructor-Led Training course, which is 24-hours of face-to-face course taught over three days. The Task Force Leader – Instructor-Led Training course code is 9P7131. Show less

The Task Force Leader Instructor-Led Training (ILT) course is designed to provide Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Task Force personnel with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the Task Force Leader (TFL) function.  Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to successfully perform the position of TFL on a US&R team.
The Task Force Leader ILT course is 24 hours of face-to-face training.  Prior to attending this course, students must successfully complete the Computer-Based Training (CBT) component of the Task Force Leader course (Course Code: 9P7130) that is approximately eight hours.   
The CBT component of this course is hosted for free by TEEX. Register now for the Task Force Leader-CBT course. Show less

When disaster strikes it can be a challenge to effectively mobilize, organize, and deploy resources needed to perform search and rescue operations. The purpose of this course is to prepare participants to support a large search and rescue incident in a variety of roles ranging from searchers in the field, planning and support staff, and incident command. While built around the model of a large search and rescue event following a disaster, the course content applies to a vast number of critical situations including missing persons searches, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, and other scenarios.This course exposes participants to a search management system focused on resource management and search documentation designed to conduct search operations efficiently and effectively. The instructor cadre will lead participants through facilitated discussions, table-top exercises, and hands-on activities in practical search skills and search management based on real world scenarios. The three-day long event concludes with a table-top exercise which requires participants to utilize the skills gained during the course to work through an incident from start to finish in a single operational period.The instructor cadre are experienced search and rescue team members from the Federal Urban Search and Rescue System (FEMA US&R), State, municipal, and Volunteer teams. They bring a wealth of experience gained responding to some of nation’s largest and most challenging operations. Show less

The Disaster Preparedness and Survival course is designed to prepare individuals and families how to prepare for, survive, and recover from a disaster.  When facing a disaster our choice often comes down to stay at home or evacuate.  In this course participants will learn the logic behind the decision to evacuate or shelter in place and what to do once they make it. This course follows a “me, we, they” approach to prepare participants to care for themselves, their families, and their communities before, during, and after a disaster. Through a combination of facilitated discussions and hands-on activities based on real-life scenarios, the instructors will demonstrate how planning, preparedness, and responsible actions may increase the chances of both surviving a disaster and recovering from it more quickly. Show less