NCBRT and NERRTC Help Florida Develop Multi-Year Training and Exercise Plan

 

April 24, 2014

 

The National Center for Biomedical Research and Training at Louisiana State University and the National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center of the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service have partnered with the Florida Division of Emergency Management to enhance and improve multi-year training and exercise plans for the entire state through the delivery of the Readiness: Training Identification Preparedness Planning (RTIPP) course.

The RTIPP course helps communities identify and fill preparedness training gaps at a local level by putting the gap analysis process together into accessible steps. The first step begins by assembling a team that includes individuals from all responding agencies in a jurisdiction. Next a jurisdictional profile is developed. This profile identifies geographic characteristics, population characteristics, the response community, resource groups, critical infrastructure, and key resources.

The jurisdiction then uses traditional gap analysis tools such as emergency operation plans and after action reports to determine whether it can meet specific needs and identify training gaps. In addition, the newly identified core capabilities, which replace the TCL in the national preparedness goal, are also used to identify training gaps. This translates into a specific training goal that identifies the type of training needed and the people who need the training. With the training goal in mind, a multi-year training plan is filled out, in which NCBRT and NERRTC help participants find and schedule the needed courses."

NCBRT and NERRTC are delivering 15 Train-the-Trainer versions of the RTIPP course in counties across Florida between January and May this year. Participants of the Train-the-Trainer version of the course are established trainers or instructors in academies, agencies or departments who will be certified teach the RTIPP course in other counties in their regions using course materials provided by NCBRT and NERRTC. The goal is to enhance the training plan and identify training gaps in a more consistent and comprehensive manner across the state.

"We believe the RTIPP courses will benefit the state and local jurisdictions' response abilities through the use of gap analysis to identify the correct courses to fill the gaps to help Florida be better prepared for all hazards," said Linda McWhorter, State Training and Exercise Officer, Florida Division of Emergency Management.

Participant feedback from the courses delivered in Florida to date has been positive. The most valuable part of the course was "the applicability to all disciplines in a way that will produce a comprehensive MYTEP for an entire county, region, or even state and the ability to have a MYTEP completed or at least have a good start upon completion of class" said one participant. Another participant says the course offered a "low stress, step by step explanation of the process." Other valuable aspects of the course participants noted were the group exercises and tools to find available resources to fulfill training goals.