Rural emergency responders nationwide have a new tool in preparing for emergencies, disasters and incidents of terrorism. The University of Findlay, Eastern Kentucky University, East Tennessee State University, NorthWest Arkansas Community College and Iowa Central Community College today announced the formation of the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC or the Consortium).

The Consortium comprises academic partners that possess extensive and unique capabilities relating to rural emergency preparedness training as well as other strategic partners with technical expertise that will assist the RDPC in supporting a national training program.

For the first year of the grant cycle, UF’s School of Environmental and Emergency Management (SEEM) is developing the following four courses: Disaster Management for School-based Incidents (Partnering Rural Law Enforcement and the Local School Systems), Crisis Management in a Rural School - School Shooting Webcast, Maritime Security for Public Safety Officials and Rail Car Incident Response.

Since 1986, SEEM has provided education, training and information-transfer programs focusing on environmental, safety and occupational health issues as well as security management, terrorism and disaster preparedness. In 2006 alone, SEEM trained 9,132 people, through 394 classes at 216 different locations in 42 states and four foreign countries.

“We are extremely proud to be recognized as one of the five member schools in the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium. Our membership will allow us to apply the First Responder training experience that we have developed since 1989, on more of a regional and national basis,” said J. Randal VanDyne, assistant vice president and executive director of SEEM.

The Consortium and its academic partners are led by Eastern Kentucky University’s Justice & Safety Center (JSC). In announcing the formation of the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium, Dr. Allen Ault, dean of the College of Justice & Safety, said, “The RDPC is another of the widely recognized programs in EKU’s College of Justice & Safety. Our college has a long history of commitment to the rural emergency responder community. The Justice & Safety Center staff of professionals is nationally and internationally known for their teaching, research and innovative programs and will provide an important resource for the rural responder.”

To ensure training is timely and relevant, the RDPC will conduct training needs assessments in the form of national surveys, user focus groups, and other outreach activities; match needs to existing programs or curricula; identify gaps; develop and deliver training; disseminate preparedness-related information specifically tailored for rural communities; and facilitate communications between the Department of Homeland Security and the rural emergency response community on relevant preparedness training issues.

Since March 2006, as the Consortium was being formed, RDPC facilitated the training of more than 600 rural emergency responders by delivering or hosting all-hazards preparedness training courses. In the coming years, as the Consortium becomes fully operational, it is anticipated to train thousands more rural emergency responders across the nation.

The RDPC will utilize advances in instructional technology and training delivery methods, such as distance learning, to deliver content addressing a broad spectrum of emergency preparedness topics.

For more information about the Consortium, contact Mark Alliman, RDPC program manager at UF, at 419-434-4135 or malliman@findlay.edu.