TEEX

A national effort is under way to combat the threats against America’s Critical Infrastructure & Key Resources (CIKR), and TEEX training is helping to address those threats and enhance the protection and rapid restoration of these vital assets. The new course, “Critical Infrastructure & Key Resources (CIKR) Awareness,” brings private sector and public jurisdictional partners together to work toward a common goal.

The American Council on Education (ACE) recently recommended college credit for 29 additional TEEX courses, bringing the number of TEEX courses approved for ACE credit to 90. More than 1,800 colleges recognize ACE-approved courses.

As the remnants of Hurricane Alex weaken and move inland over northeastern Mexico, the Texas Division of Emergency Management has demobilized the Texas Task Force 1 – Type I search and rescue team and the Texas Task Force 2 (Dallas) – Type III team. The TX-TF1 Type III team and 9 swift water rescue teams will remain in the Rio Grande Valley until at least Saturday to assist local jurisdictions if needed due to possible flooding. The Rapid Response Task Force Austin and the Public Works Response Team have also demobilized.

As BP continues its efforts to stop the flow of oil from the April 20 Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico, the company has called on TEEX to provide basic safety training curriculum for workers, contractors, and volunteers who will be involved in cleaning up the shoreline.

The Texas Engineering Extension Service announced the renaming of the Knowledge Engineering division, previously known as Technology & Economic Development.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) has called on TEEX for the development of curriculum and software for a FEMA-funded training project.

Texas Task Force 1 (TX-TF1) and all other US teams currently on standby have been demobilized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and will not deploy to Haiti.

Brian Blake, formerly with the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, will join TEEX as the agency’s Public Relations Director, effective Dec. 7.

The president has signed the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for 2010 (H.R. 2892) – providing TEEX’s National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center with $23 million in funding under the Homeland Security National Training Program Cooperative Agreement.

Texas Task Force 1 (TX-TF1) has deployed nine helicopter rescue technicians in advance of continued heavy rain expected across Central Texas and the coastline over the weekend.