CISA’s Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP) reached a major milestone last month during the delivery of its Surveillance Detection Course in Louisville, Kentucky, by training its 150,000th person. Interest in OBP training has steadily increased since its inception, training 25,000 in the first twelve years and 125,000 in the last seven.
Noah Cole was proud to be named the 150,000th trainee. “Taking the surveillance detection class was eye opening as a law enforcement officer,” he said. “I learned more than I expected and was able to take away valuable training to be able to use within my career. I’d highly recommend it to anyone in a law enforcement operational and/or support role.” The course provides trainees with the fundamental knowledge and skills to recognize and respond appropriately to hostile surveillance at facilities and events.
OBP continues to expand its training footprint through international engagements, which enable OBP to collaborate with international security and law enforcement officials to deliver tailored trainings and resources. Recently, OBP worked with the Department of State to train officials in Mexico, Canada, and the United Nations, among others. Through OBP’s Empowered Trainer program, OBP has expanded its Counter-IED mission capabilities by developing and sustaining a training cadre at the federal, state, local, tribal, and private sector levels by providing trainers essential knowledge and support required to effectively deliver OBP’s accredited counter-IED and risk mitigation training curriculum.
“This milestone represents years of hard work, dedication, and commitment to securing communities at home and abroad,” said the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Executive Assistant Director of Infrastructure Security Division, Dr. David Mussington. “As the global threat landscape has continued to evolve, OBP has done a remarkable job in adapting to those changes to provide training and resources tailored to the needs of those working to keep us safe.”
OBP’s success can be attributed in large part to the steps it has implemented to enhance its curriculum and restructure its program to reach multiple stakeholders through various modalities. This includes free C-IED trainings both virtually and in-person. To request OBP counter-IED products or contact the team, please email the Office for Bombing Prevention.