Free All-Hazards Training for Rural Departments

March 26, 2013

Courtesy of EMR-ISAC

Hard economic times make it difficult for emergency services organizations around the country to find quality instruction and training, especially in rural areas or small departments. The Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC) offers all-hazards training both online and on site for first responders completely tuition-free.

The classroom training calendar is searchable by location, course, and date. Rural agencies may request delivery of courses locally; the RDPC lists steps to take before submitting local training requests to help ensure success.

Classroom-based training includes “Rural Isolation and Quarantine Planning,” “Crisis Management for School-based Incidents,” “Resource Inventory Management for Rural Communities,” and “Dealing with the Media.” The online training option offers self-paced instruction available 24/7, but fewer courses are currently available.

The RDPC was established in 2004 by Congress and the Department of Homeland Security specifically to target emergency response departments such as fire, law enforcement, and emergency management offices as well as private sector partners and other emergency support functions defined by the National Response Plan.

(Source: Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium)