DHS Awards Funding to Strengthen National First Responder Training through LSU’s NCBRT/ACE and the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium

Baton Rouge, LA — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded funding to the LSU National Center for Biomedical Research and Training/Academy of Counter-Terrorist Education (NCBRT/ACE), a founding member of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC). This award ensures that first responders across the nation will continue to have access to high-quality, federally supported training designed to prepare them for today’s most pressing threats.

"These funds represent a strategic and proactive investment in our nation’s first responders," said Jeff Mayne, Director of LSU NCBRT/ACE. "By providing advanced, specialized training aligned with national standards, we are strengthening the skills, readiness, and effectiveness of responders in the communities that seek it. This approach ensures resources are used efficiently and effectively, empowering first responders to prevent, respond to, and recover from complex threats benefiting their communities and supporting the safety and resilience of all Americans."

“We are deeply grateful to Louisiana’s congressional delegation for their unwavering support of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium and LSU NCBRT/ACE,” added Mayne. “Their advocacy ensures that our federally supported training programs continue to strengthen first responders’ readiness, interoperability, and effectiveness nationwide—directly advancing the administration’s priorities for a safer, more resilient America.”

The NDPC is a congressionally authorized partnership of institutions with the expertise and capacity to deliver advanced, all-hazards training nationwide. Through LSU NCBRT/ACE and its NDPC partners, tens of thousands of responders are trained each year, representing every state and U.S. territory. Training is delivered by subject matter experts drawn directly from the ranks of law enforcement, fire services, emergency medical response, and allied disciplines, ensuring relevance and real-world applicability.

This year, DHS awarded approximately $90.9 million across the NDPC to sustain and expand its mission. Of that total, $20.8 million was awarded to LSU NCBRT/ACE to deliver DHS-certified training nationwide, ensuring responders in every state and territory who seek access have the opportunity to receive the highest-quality preparedness programs.

The training delivered through NCBRT/ACE and the NDPC is specialized and advanced, providing prevention, response, and resilience education that is not typically available to first responders at the local level. By bringing together subject matter experts from across the nation and across disciplines, the NDPC has created a unique national training infrastructure that delivers cutting-edge courses in ways that individual jurisdictions could not achieve alone. This ensures that responders from rural towns to major metropolitan areas gain access to expertise, tools, and methods that strengthen their capacity, knowledge, skills, and performance in protecting their communities.

NCBRT/ACE and the NDPC are continuously working to strengthen the readiness and capabilities of the nation’s first responders raising the quality of emergency services they deliver in their communities. This ongoing investment increases efficiency, strengthens coordination, saves lives, reduces costs, and enhances public confidence in emergency response. By ensuring that responders are trained to the highest standards available, communities across the country benefit from faster, more effective, and more reliable protection when it matters most.

About LSU NCBRT/ACE:

LSU NCBRT/ACE is a nationally recognized center for emergency preparedness and response training located at Louisiana State University’s flagship campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We provide mobile training to both the national and international emergency response community. LSU NCBRT/ACE has expertise in research, development and delivery of training in the areas of specialized law enforcement operations; biological incident response; food and agriculture safety and security; school safety; and instructional design and technique. For more information on LSU NCBRT/ACE’s courses and resources, please visit ncbrt.lsu.edu.

About the NDPC:

The National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC) is a congressionally authorized partnership of institutions providing training for the nation’s emergency responders. The NDPC draws on a network of subject matter experts and leverages specialized facilities across the country to deliver advanced, all-hazards preparedness training. Its members represent federal, state, academic, and nonprofit institutions working together to strengthen the nation’s preparedness.