Our Mission:

The RDPC, through its member institutions, will provide rural communities with the knowledge, skills and abilities to enhance the safety, security and quality of life for their citizens through training, technical assistance and information sharing.

What’s Inside

Vol. 2, Winter 2009

RDPC 1continued on page 2 >>

Cover Story RDPC Hosts Second Annual National Rural Emergency Preparedness Summit

Advisory Board Spotlight The National Association of EMS Physicians

Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium Launches New Websitewww.ruraltraining.org

Rural Preparedness Quarterly

RDPC Hosts Second Annual National Rural Emergency Preparedness Summit

The Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC) hosted its second annual National Rural Emergency Preparedness Summit in San Antonio, Texas on October 7 - 8, 2008. The summit provided a forum for 29 practitioners to voice their opinions as the RDPC identifies potential training curriculum topics for the coming year. Disciplines represented at the summit included those from the emergency services sector, public health, and state and local government.

Providing the keynote address was Executive Director Timothy Braaten from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education. Noting the diversity of population density in Texas, Braaten praised the efforts of RDPC in providing training to rural responders around the country. He cited the large number of first responder agencies across the state and noted that a large majority were volunteer agencies.

“In Texas we have over 1,550 law enforcement agencies with less than ten officers. In these rural communities all first responders must form

a close working relationship and training in all emergency services is critical. Just how we deliver this training is the question,” said Braaten.

Using the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/FEMA Target Capabilities List as a guide, as well as a list of existing and future RDPC curriculum, practitioners identified topics and issue areas that were not currently being addressed and prioritized them according to the criticality of need. As a result of these discussions, the practitioners in attendance identified 13 critical issue areas which they recommend RDPC consider as it forms its training agenda in the coming year.

Potential course topics include, but are not limited to, rural aviation safety and security, decontamination of emergency equipment and vehicles, early identification of large scale expanding events, and curriculum addressing lessons learned and best practices for shelter in place parameters for citizens of all populations and ages. Attendees also suggested the RDPC develop more hands-on

Summit Advisory Board Spotlight>> continued from page 1

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The National Association of EMS Physicians® is an organization of physicians and other professionals partnering to provide leadership and foster excellence in out-of-hospital emergency medical services (EMS).

In 1984, insightful emergency medical service leaders from a cross-section of the U.S. came together to form a new organization for the EMS physicians responsible for medical care in the out-of-hospital setting. Their vision was to create a peer group organization which would serve as a resource and advocate for the EMS physicians and other personnel. In the following months, a National Steering Committee and Advisory Board, comprised of well-known academic and community leaders in out-of-hospital care, established the groundwork for the National Association of EMS Physicians® (NAEMSP).

Since its inception in 1984, the NAEMSP membership has grown from a handful of dedicated founders to more than 1,100 physicians, paramedics, nurses, administrators, educators, researchers and key EMS personnel. The membership continues to increase as the NAEMSP represents the out-of-hospital emergency medical care community. As part of its ongoing commitment to improving out-of-hospital emergency medical care, the NAEMSP promotes meetings, publications and products that connect, serve and educate its members. In addition, the association acts as a resource and advocate of EMS related decisions in cooperation with organizations throughout the country and the community at large, including agencies of the federal government.

Since the birth of the NAEMSP, EMS systems have continued to grow and develop. However, despite the best of intentions, many systems have developed enthusiastically without maintaining the perspective that EMS is the practice of medicine in the out-of-hospital setting. Since EMS physici ans emanate from various disciplines (such as emergency medicine, family practice, pediatrics, surgery and cardiology) and non-physicians encompass an unlimited range of professions, it is the continuing role of the NAEMSP to coordinate and focus advances in medical care, research and training in each of these fields as they relate to EMS.

Sincerely,Dr. Bethany CummingsVice Chair of the RDPC Advisory BoardNAEMSP RepresentativeSan Antonio, Texas

job aids, learning tools or leave-behind applications. In addition, research and curriculum development on the issue of volunteerism and its effects on rural responder readiness and actions was recommended.

RDPC’s annual National Rural Emergency Preparedness Summit is part of the needs and requirements identification approach. RDPC uses information gathered through the Summit, the annual national survey and assessment of rural responder needs, and input from the practitioners serving on the RDPC’s Advisory Board to develop training curriculum that is tailored to meet the unique environment in which rural responders operate. All curriculum developed by the RDPC and its academic partners are certified by DHS and offered tuition-free to emergency responders, general government officials and other associated stakeholders.

For more information regarding RDPC and its activities please visit www.ruraltraining.org.

San Antonio, Texas

Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium launches new website

The Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC) has launched a new website, complete with resources and various training tools, to assist the rural first responder community.

The nation’s rural emergency responders face unique challenges when compared to their urban counterparts. In recognizing the need for consistent, quality training which addresses those challenges, the RDPC has developed and launched a new trainingwebsite.

The new website can be found at www.ruraltraining.org and provides information about the many all-hazard training courses available to rural first responders. The website features a user-friendly way to identify low or no cost Department of Homeland Security certified training. The website also features news and information relevant to rural first responders with content updated daily. Enhancements to the website, which will allow first responders to register for instructor-led training, and enroll and engage in web-based training 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, are scheduled for the near future.

Improvements to the website will come in stages over the next year.

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RDPC Academic Partners

As other enhancements are added, first responders will be able to participate in networking opportunities with colleagues across the nation, and stay informed of current training opportunities.

With these enhancements the new website will become a valuable resource for rural first responders in addition to providing quality training. The safety and security of a user’s personal and

private information is a top priority for the RDPC. As such, the site is undergoing a rigorous federal certification and assessment process to ensure that student information captured through training enrollment and registration activities is protected. Be sure to check out the website at www.ruraltraining.org and let us know what you think!

Upcom

ing Training & Events

Rural Dom

estic Preparedness ConsortiumJustice and Safety Center50 StrattonEastern Kentucky U

niversity521 Lancaster AvenueRichm

ond, KY 40475-3102

RDPC

4This project w

as supported by Cooperative Agreement N

umber 2006-G

D-T6-K001 adm

inistered by the U.S. D

epartment of H

omeland Security/FEM

A, Training &

Exercises Integration Secretariat. Points of view

or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not represent the offi

cial position or policies of the U.S. D

epartment of H

omeland Security.

To register or schedule training contact the RDPC at: info@

ruraltraining.org or call 859-622-8994.

Training Schedule·

Jan 14, 2009 - AWR-144: Port and Vessel Security for Public Safety and M

aritime Personnel (W

ayne County Fire and Emergency M

anagement Building, Lyons, NY)

· Feb 2-4, 2009 - M

GT-335: Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals (Ramada Inn-Topeka, Topeka, KS)

· Feb 5, 2009 - AW

R-144: Port and Vessel Security for Public Safety and Maritim

e Personnel (North Carolina Justice Academy, Salem

burg, NC)·

Feb 11, 2009 - AWR-144: Port and Vessel Security for Public Safety and M

aritime Personnel (Clayton Fire Departm

ent, Clayton, NY)·

Feb 19-20, 2009 - MGT-335: Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals (Departm

ent of Criminal Justice Training, Richm

ond, KY)·

Feb 20, 2009 - Rail Car Incident Response (Fire Department Training Center, Jackson, TN)

· Feb 21, 2009 - Rail Car Incident Response (Fire Departm

ent Training Center, Jackson, TN)·

Feb 21-22 , 2009 - MGT-335: Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals (Kentucky Constables Association Training Division Offi

ce, Louisville, KY)·

Feb 26, 2009 - AWR-144: Port and Vessel Security for Public Safety and M

aritime Personnel (Tulsa Police Departm

ent Training Center, Tulsa, OK)·

Mar 5-6, 2009 - M

GT-335: Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals (Gignilliat Comm

unity Center, Seneca, SC)·

Mar 10-11, 2009 - M

GT-335: Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals (Delaware State Fire School, Dover, DE)·

Mar 10-12, 2009 - First Responder Training Program

(FRTP) (Rural Law Enforcement Training Center, Hazard, KY)

· M

ar 12, 2009 - Rail Car Incident Response (Telemark Lodge, Cable, W

I) (Pre-conference session)·

Mar 13, 2009 - Rail Car Incident Response (Telem

ark Lodge, Cable, WI) (Regular conference schedule)

· M

ar 13, 2009 - Rail Car Incident Response (EOC Building, Milton, FL)

· Apr 6, 2009 - PER-280: Em

ergency Response: Strengthening Cooperative Efforts Among Public Safety and Private Sector Entities (Com

fort Inn Aikens Center, Martinsburg, W

V)·

Apr 7-8, 2009 - MGT-335: Event Security Planning for Public Safety Professionals (Eastern Shore Crim

inal Justice Academy, W

or-Wic Com

munity College, Salisbury, M

D)·

Apr 7, 2009 - Rail Car Incident Response (Nampa Fire Training School, Nam

pa, ID)