First responders from across the country come to Anniston to prepare for some of the nation’s worst emergencies, and a new $22 million federal investment is expanding the Alabama center where they train.
FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness officially opened its new Student Training and Intake Center at the Advanced Responder Training Complex on Monday, Sept. 21.
The $22 million project took six years to complete, WBRC reported. The first group of students is expected to begin using the new facility within the next few months.
The new center adds to a federal operation that has made Anniston a national destination for emergency response training.
Approximately 60,000 emergency responders from state, local, tribal and territorial governments participate in CDP training each year. Since the center opened in 1998, FEMA said it has trained more than 1.5 million responders.
The Center for Domestic Preparedness provides advanced, all-hazards training to responders from all 50 states and U.S. territories, as well as some foreign countries. Responders represent 17 disciplines, including law enforcement, fire service, emergency medical services, emergency management, health care, public health, hazardous materials, search and rescue and public works.
For eligible state, local, tribal and territorial responders, DHS fully funds resident training at no cost to the responder or jurisdiction. The CDP also provides round-trip transportation, meals and lodging for those students.
The new facility gives responders a place to be processed when they arrive for training, along with classroom and gathering space. It will also house CDP Training and Education employees and staff involved in supporting and delivering training.
The work done at the Anniston center goes well beyond traditional classroom training. Responders prepare for mass-casualty incidents, including those involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive materials.
Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary for Management Brian Cavanaugh joined FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton, DHS Deputy Under Secretary for Management Erin Hoffman, CDP Acting Superintendent Chris Chesney, FEMA National Preparedness Directorate Deputy Assistant Administrator Dr. Thom Layou and other officials for the ribbon-cutting.
“The men and women who respond first when disaster strikes deserve the very best training and resources we can provide,” Cavanaugh said. “This new facility represents an investment by President Trump in America’s first responders, in the communities they serve, and in our nation’s ability to respond when it matters most. By strengthening the Center for Domestic Preparedness, we are ensuring responders across the country are better equipped, better trained, and ready to protect the American people.”
Hamilton said the investment will help local responders prepare their communities for emergencies.
“The Center for Domestic Preparedness is committed to training the best for the worst. Facilities like these reflect the importance of empowering and enabling local responders to protect their communities,” Hamilton said. “By investing in these facilities, state, local, tribal and territorial governments can ensure they have the skills needed to reduce risk and build their capacity to respond to emergencies and disasters.”
The future of the Anniston center had already drawn attention in Washington earlier this year.
In June, Yellowhammer News reported that U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) reaffirmed her support for the Center for Domestic Preparedness during a DHS hearing and backed a FEMA Review Council recommendation to strengthen the Anniston facility rather than replace it.
FEMA describes emergency management as working best when it is locally led, state managed and federally supported. From its Anniston campus, the CDP puts that partnership into practice by preparing thousands of responders each year to return home better equipped for the emergencies their communities may face.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
