Office for Domestic Preparedness 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security 

Washington, DC 20531

ODP Information Bulletin 

No. 138 October 27, 2004 

TO All State Administrative Agency Heads 

 All State Administrative Agency Points of Contact 

All State Homeland Security Directors 

All Urban Area Working Group Core City and Core County Representatives 

FROM: C. Suzanne Mencer 

 Executive Director 

SUBJECT: Updated Guidance for the WMD Standardized Awareness Authorized Trainer 

Program 

As communicated previously in ODP Information Bulletin #130, the goal of the new WMD 

Standardized Awareness Authorized Trainer Program is to provide states and urban areas with a 

mechanism for delivery and sustainment of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) awareness 

training for the ten emergency response disciplines included in their strategies: emergency 

management, emergency medical service, fire service, government administrative, hazardous 

materials, health care, law enforcement, public communications, public health, and public works. 

The expectation is that this program will build a core cadre of instructors in states and urban 

areas who will carry out this training on an ongoing basis within their state and local area. 

States and urban areas are not expected to retrain personnel who have already successfully 

completed any ODP-certified WMD awareness course. The standardized awareness training 

program is intended to help accelerate training to the 3.5 million emergency response personnel 

recently identified in homeland security strategies as still in need of WMD awareness training. 

The WMD Standardized Awareness Authorized Trainer Program will primarily rely on a Trainthe-Trainer approach to maximize the program’s reach. Trainers designated by States and urban 

areas will participate in a 12-hour National WMD Standardized Awareness Authorized Trainer 

(SAAT) Train-the-Trainer course (AWR 160-1, Train-the-Trainer) taught by members of the 

National Domestic Preparedness Consortium. Graduates of that program will then be certified to 

deliver the 6-hour National WMD Standardized Awareness course (AWR 160, Direct Delivery) 

to personnel within their State and local jurisdiction. 

Two categories of personnel are considered exempt from the Train-the-Trainer course and do not 

have to complete the Train-the-Trainer segment in order to be considered a certified instructor 

for the direct delivery course: 1) individuals who are currently certified to provide hazardous 

materials certification training and 2) individuals who have been certified to teach ODP WMD 

awareness courses. 
ODP has requested that the states and urban areas begin to identify at least 3 trainers for each of 

the 10 disciplines (30 trainers total). Each of the state training points of contact shall provide to 

ODP a list of trainers for whom they are seeking approval to teach the direct delivery course. 

State training coordinators will coordinate the development of this list with appropriate officials 

in the state fire and law enforcement academies, as well as any appropriate county or municipal 

training academies. In addition, ODP requests that state training coordinators establish a 

procedure to accurately track and report data on the number of persons trained, their employing

agency, and other additional criteria to be developed by ODP. 

In addition, attached to this document are answers to several frequently asked questions that have

been received since the announcement of the WMD Standardized Awareness Authorized Trainer 

Program. 

Inquiries on this program related to your jurisdiction’s participation should be directed to your 

Preparedness Officer. Requests for additional information on training program content should be 

directed to Willie Johnson, Training Program Manager, at 202-514-4134 or 

willie.johnson2@dhs.gov. 

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