NERRTC scheduling water, wastewater security workshops

Local jurisdictions are invited to host free water and wastewater security training workshops offered by the National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center (NERRTC). The NERRTC is currently booking workshops for July 2003 through September 2004.

Based in College Station, Texas, and part of the Texas Engineering Extension Service and the Texas A&M University System, the NERRTC is a member of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium. The NERRTC will offer four different "Acts of Terrorism/Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Preparedness and Response for Water and Wastewater Operations" courses. Each course is designed for a different target audience based on the respective job discipline within the industry and includes executives, plant operators, distribution and collection personnel, and small systems operators.

According to Paul Muraca, program manager for water and wastewater training with the Texas Engineering Extension Service, local jurisdictions that agree to host the courses must help to organize participants and supply personnel and equipment support. The NERRTC will provide instructors and instructional materials and handouts. “There are no direct costs or course costs to the jurisdiction,” says Muraca.

The U.S. Department of Justice sponsors and funds the courses, which are taught on-site within the jurisdiction and are conducted over a two-day or three-day period. Optimal class size is 40 participants.

The courses are designed to train the target audiences to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a WMD/ terrorism incident targeted at water and wastewater facilities.

Major topics include:

• discussion of the characteristics and use of potential chemical, biological, and radiological agents and explosives and the associated delivery methods related to water and wastewater systems;
• the conduct of vulnerability assessments on local water and wastewater systems to determine current state of preparedness, mitigate risk, and enhance security;
• developing (or revising) applicable emergency response plans for these types of incidents and mitigation actions that systems can take through active and passive measures;
• responding to and recovering from these types of incidents and the overall impact of WMD; and
• effectively interacting with the media and citizens during and after a WMD/ terrorism incident.

For more information about the courses or to discuss available course offering dates, contact Richard Harbuck at (979) 845-4697 or richard.harbuck@teexmail.tamu.edu or
Bob Fischer at (979) 845-7390 or bob.fischer@teexmail.tamu.edu.