Citation

Ward J. APWA Reporter 2002; 70(1): 32-35.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, American Public Works Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Public works departments are considered part of the official ranks of first responders by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's guidelines for disasters, but they are often obscured by the higher profiles enjoyed by the rescue work of firefighters and police. A new training program aimed at public works agencies' needs for responding to emergencies has been developed at the National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center at Texas A&M University's Texas Engineering Extension Service. The three-day course is based on eight modules: weapons of mass destruction, legal issues, vulnerability assessment, incident command, resource management, incident response, recovery and plan development. The course is also offered on site to any city or county public works department that asks for it. Three other emergency response training programs have public works components., but public works directors and personnel are slow to see themselves in that role.