NERRTC funding included in 2012 Homeland Security Appropriations Act

The National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center (NERRTC) is expected to receive as much as $22 million through the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2012, which was passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the President. Public Law 112-74 provides $93 million in funding for the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC), of which TEEX/NERRTC is a founding member.

NERRTC, which is a part of the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), was established in 1998 and provides training and assistance to jurisdictions nationwide to help them prepare for all kinds of catastrophes, including natural disasters, public health emergencies and terrorism incidents. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding for the Homeland Security National Training Program Cooperative Agreement helps to ensure that the nation’s emergency response personnel are prepared to protect citizens and critical infrastructure in case of a major disaster.

NERRTC is one of the seven members of the NDPC, which is a major training partner of the DHS/FEMA National Protection and Preparedness Directorate. Other NDPC training programs are based in Anniston, Ala.; Socorro, NM; Baton Rouge, LA; Las Vegas, NV; Pueblo, CO; and Honolulu, HI.