Office for Domestic Preparedness 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security 

Washington, DC 20531

Frequently Asked Questions 

WMD Standardized Awareness Authorized Trainer (SAAT) Program 

Question 1

Does the WMD Standardized Awareness Authorized Trainer (SAAT) Program AWR 160 series 

(AWR-160: Direct Delivery and AWR 160-1: Train the Trainer) replace the Emergency 

Response to Terrorism: Basic Concept (ERTBC) AWR-100, Train the Trainer AWR-101, and 

Self-Paced Course AWR-102?

Answer 1 

Yes, the AWR 160 series replaces ERTBC AWR-100, Train the Trainer AWR-101, and SelfPaced AWR-102 courses. The curriculum in the AWR 160 series incorporates all the learning 

objectives of the ERTBC course at the awareness level except for the incident command 

element. However, incident command is addressed in greater detail in other ODP courses, 

including Incident Management/Unified Command for WMD/Terrorism Incidents (MGT 313)

and Incident Command Training (MGT 360). Additionally, ODP coordinates with the NIMS 

Integration Center to ensure that all ODP courses with respect to incident command are NIMS 

compliant. 

Question 2 

What if the state or urban area has already negotiated for the development and/or delivery of 

other WMD awareness courses? Will states and urban areas now be required to participate 

instead in the National WMD Standardized Awareness Authorized Trainer Program? 

Answer 2 

All states and urban areas are strongly encouraged to participate in the National WMD 

Standardized Awareness Authorized Trainer Program in order to support the Homeland Security 

Presidential Directive (HSPD) 8 requirement to establish and maintain a comprehensive training

program to meet the national preparedness goal. However, if a state or urban area has negotiated 

for the development and/or delivery of an alternative awareness course, they may proceed with

that option. If a decision is made to proceed with the alternative WMD awareness course, the 

state or urban area will not be permitted to use ODP funds to support delivery unless the course

is submitted through the established course approval process. 

Question 3 

Are states and urban areas allowed to have more than 3 persons per discipline participate in the 

training?

Answer 3 

Yes, three persons per discipline is the minimum requirement, however states and urban areas 
Frequently Asked Questions 

WMD Standardized Awareness Authorized Trainer (SAAT) Program

can have more than three per discipline certified as trainers. They should be aware however, that 

the anticipated maximum course size is 50 people. 

Question 4 

Can states and urban areas schedule multiple deliveries of the train-the-trainer course? 

Answer 4 

Yes, states and urban areas can schedule multiple deliveries as long as they coordinate them with 

their ODP State or Urban Area point of contact and the National Domestic Preparedness

Consortium trainer for that state or urban area’s region. The multiple deliveries should be

scheduled to happen concurrently within the same week. 

Question 5 

Are other disciplines which are not clearly identified in HSPD-8 or mentioned in previous

guidance authorized to participate in the National WMD Standardized Awareness Authorized 

Trainer (SAAT) Program? For example, if states and urban areas have previously extended 

awareness training to agriculture personnel, are they eligible to participate in this program? 

Answer 5 

Yes, states and urban areas are encouraged to be inclusive in their delivery of this course, 

particularly with regard to additional emergency response disciplines that have a need for WMD 

awareness. 

Question 6 

Will there be long-term requirements for authorized trainers to deliver the course a certain 

number of times?

Answer 6 

Yes, however State Administrative Agency or UAWG POCs shall identify delivery requirements

for authorized trainers in keeping with the State or Urban Area Strategy. For example, if an 

urban area has identified 6000 individuals requiring awareness training, the Urban Area Working 

Group might require each of its 30 authorized trainers to deliver training to 200 individuals in a 

specified time period. 

Question 7 

Can states and urban areas rely upon contractor support to meet the required minimum number

of authorized trainers? 

Answer 7 

Yes, if states and urban areas deem appropriate, they can rely upon contractor support to meet 

their minimum number of authorized trainers (three per discipline). In doing so, they should 

bear in mind the long-term goal of the National WMD Standardized Awareness Authorized 

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Frequently Asked Questions 

WMD Standardized Awareness Authorized Trainer (SAAT) Program

Trainer (SAAT) Program, which is to institutionalize awareness training and build a core cadre

of instructors who will carry out this training on an ongoing basis within their state and local 

area. 

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