[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 148 (Wednesday, November 9, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12615-S12616]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ALLARD:
  S. 1986. A bill to provide for the coordination and use of the 
National Domestic Preparedness Consortium by the Department of Homeland 
Security, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security 
and Governmental Affairs.
  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, the events of the past few months remind 
us of the vital role of first responders in responding to natural 
disasters and terrorists attacks. First responders are just that: the 
first to respond. When they arrive on the scene, they often face fluid 
and volatile situations whereupon they are required to make split-
second decisions, each of which has the potential to affect thousands 
of lives. For this reason, it is important that our first responders 
receive the training and experience needed to make critical life saving 
decisions under emergency circumstances. I believe that an essential 
element of preparing our first responders is to provide them with 
hands-on experience in simulated, real-world training environments.
  The importance of real world training was called to my attention by a 
visit to the Technology Training Center (TTC) in Pueblo, CO. There, I 
witnessed first hand the tools at our disposal to equip our first 
responders with the training they need, specifically in the context of 
rail and mass transit. Already aware of the training facilities at the 
disposal of our first responders through the Department of Homeland 
Security's National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC), TTC's 
potential to fill a gap in the rail and mass transit environment became 
apparent.
  Congress recognized the need to train first responders in the 1998 
Appropriations Act, Public Law 105-119, and accompanying report. There, 
Congress stated that, while the Federal Government plays an important 
role in preventing and responding to these types of threats, state and 
local public safety personnel are typically first to respond to the 
scene when such incidents occur. As a result, Congress authorized the 
Attorney General to assist state and local public safety personnel in 
acquiring the specialized training and equipment necessary to safely 
respond to and manage terrorist incidents involving weapons of mass 
destruction.
  On April 30, 1998, the Attorney General delegated authority to the 
Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs (OJP) to develop and 
administer training and equipment assistance programs for state and 
local emergency response agencies to better prepare them against this 
threat. To execute this mission, the Office of Justice Programs 
established the Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP) to develop and 
administer a national Domestic Preparedness Program.
  Upon passage of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, Pub. L. 107-296, 
the ODP was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security from 
OJP. In 2003, a number of grant programs and functions from other DHS 
components were consolidated with ODP, including the NDPC, under a new 
DHS agency, the Office of State and Local Government Coordination and 
Preparedness (SLGCP).
  Today, SLGCP is the Federal Government's lead agency responsible for 
preparing the nation against terrorism by assisting states, local and 
tribal jurisdictions, and regional authorities as they prevent, deter, 
and respond to terrorist acts. SLGCP's ODP provides tailored training 
to enhance the capacity of States and local jurisdictions to prevent, 
deter, and respond safely and effectively to emergency situations.

  ODP draws upon a coalition of ``training partners'' in the 
development and delivery of state-of-the-art training programs. This 
coalition is composed of government facilities, academic institutions, 
and private organizations, all of which are committed to providing a 
variety of specialized training for emergency responders across the 
country.
  ODP's major training partner is the NDPC, through which ODP 
identifies, develops, tests, and delivers training to state and local 
emergency responders. The NDPC includes: ODP's Center for Domestic 
Preparedness (CDP): CDP provides advanced, hands-on training to members 
of the emergency response community in the areas of command, advanced 
hazmat, and tactical operations. CDP is the only WMD training facility 
that provides hands-on training to civilian emergency responders in

[[Page S12616]]

a toxic chemical agent environment. New Mexico Institute of Mining and 
Technology (NMIMT): NMIMT, a world leader in explosives research, 
serves as the lead NDPC partner for explosives, firearms, and 
incendiary devices training. New Mexico Tech also delivers a program on 
suicide bombing prevention. Louisiana State University (LSU): LSU 
provides training and expertise in the areas of law enforcement, 
bioterrorism, agricultural terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and 
mass casualty incidents. Texas A&M University System, Texas Engineering 
Extension Service (TEEX): TEEX develops and conducts national WMD 
preparedness training for all emergency response disciplines, as well 
as courses in incident management/unified command, threat and risk 
assessments, operations for public works, and WMD operations for 
emergency medical services. TEEX also conducts a structural collapse 
technician course to build state capabilities for urban search and 
rescue operations. Department of Energy's Nevada Test Site (NTS): NTS 
conducts radiological and nuclear training at NTS and via mobile 
training teams. It also develops and delivers radiological/nuclear 
mobile training at the awareness and operations levels and conducts 
train-the-trainer courses for first responders across the country.
  Although it consists of an impressive array of training facilities, 
the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium is not statutorily 
authorized and does not include a facility that is uniquely focused on 
emergency preparedness within the railroad and mass transit 
environment. Therefore, in addition to specifically authorizing the 
NDPC, this bill incorporates the Transportation Technology Center into 
the Department of Homeland Security's National Domestic Preparedness 
Consortium, filling a critical gap in its current training agenda.
  TTC is a federally-owned, 52 square mile multi-modal testing and 
training facility in Pueblo, Colorado, operated by the Association of 
American Railroads (AAR). In 1985, TTC established an on site Emergency 
Response Training Center (ERTC) to train railroad officials to safely 
handle accidents involving tank cars carrying hazardous materials. The 
training proved to be so successful that attendance was opened up to 
other emergency responders. TTC now serves not only the transportation 
service industry, but also the public sector emergency response 
community, the chemical industry, government agencies, and emergency 
response contractors from all over the world.
  Each year, an average of 1,700 first responders--from Portland, ME to 
Portland, OR--travel to Pueblo, CO, to participate in TTC's training 
program. Former participants include over 600 fire departments and 
entities from 45 states; 16 state police agencies from Arkansas, 
Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, 
Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, 
and Washington; and numerous government agencies, including the U.S. 
Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Customs Service, Federal Bureau of 
Investigations, Environmental Protection Agency, Drug Enforcement 
Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the 
National Transportation Safety Board. In its 20 year history, the 
facility has trained more than 20,000 students worldwide.
  The ERTC is regarded as the ``graduate school'' of hazmat training 
because of its focus on hands-on, true to life, training exercises on 
actual rail vehicles, including tank cars and passenger rail cars. The 
ERTC is uniquely positioned to teach emergency response for railway-
related emergencies with 69 railway freight cars, 15 railroad passenger 
cars, 25 highway cargo tanks, van trailers, and intermodal containers, 
and computer work stations equipped with the latest emergency response 
software. The Passenger Railcar Security and Integrity Training 
Facility is currently being developed to test various inspection, 
response, and remediation techniques' effectiveness for mitigation to 
incidents involving passenger railcars. This facility focuses on 
chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive incidents and 
other activities associated with potential terrorist events.
  The distinctive environment of TTC allows testing and training 
activities to be carried out at a remote Colorado location without 
disruption to the flow of passenger and rail traffic in and around 
urban areas. Its inclusion in the NDPC presents a unique opportunity to 
enhance technology and training that will improve our Nation's ability 
to prevent, minimize, and respond to potential terrorist attacks 
similar to those recently seen in London and Madrid.
  It is for these reasons, among others, that I rise today to introduce 
a bill statutorily authorizing the National Domestic Preparedness 
Consortium, as expanded to include the Transportation Technology Center 
in Pueblo, CO, and providing for its coordination and use by the 
Department of Homeland Security in training the Nation's first 
responders.

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