EMRTC recently provided a customized training course for more than 30 first responders in American Samoa. The first responders work for Port Administration, Public Safety, Customs, Homeland Security, and LBJ Hospital and Department of Health. The 5-day training spanned multiple programs including Medical Preparedness and Response for Bombing Incidents (MPRBI) offered jointly with Texas A&M) as well as Incident Response to Terrorist Bombings (IRTB). The customization included examples of threats to the island as a culminating exercise.
Photo courtesy Talanei.com
Course instructor Rob Alpaugh considered the training a success and noted one of the high points was getting to know the course attendees and learning more about their culture. The magnificent scenery and stunning waterfront areas certainly did not detract from the experience either. The most challenging part of the course was taking for granted the resources readily available in other locations. Alpaugh commented, “We found that parts of the curriculum didn’t translate well due to differences in available resources.” Despite having to make some adjustments on the fly, the training was quite well received by the students who expressed a lot of gratitude for the content. Alpaugh noted “It is obvious they don’t have the same training opportunities that we have on the mainland.”
The culminating exercise was originally planned to train attendees on search techniques. However, due to lack of training locations, course instructors shifted gears and taught basic search procedures and included a practical search scenario. In addition, they conducted a tabletop exercise that included having students consider the steps involved in searches when responding to potential incidents involving explosives.
Participants commented on their course evaluations that the training “Made them more aware of potential targets in their community.” They described the content as “very valuable” and “appropriate” for their particular fields of work.
While this training was the first delivered by EMRTC in American Samoa, hopefully it will not be the last. Through the training course, the stakeholders’ eyes were opened to the importance of emergency planning, policies, and procedures. The additional training opportunities offered by EMRTC would provide valuable training and assistance in this region.
