Training and Education


We offer four easy ways to register for training courses.

The Center for Emergency Preparedness training and education programs have been developed to meet a wide array of training needs. Through the use of our unique training facility, we can focus on the needs of the individual or we can provide a training environment that focuses on the requirements of a large multi-agency response operating under a unified command. Our current programs address the needs and requirements of multiple agencies that include:

  • Law Enforcement (online interest card)
  • Fire Service (online interest card)
  • Private Security
  • Hospitals
  • Public Health
  • Medical Providers
  • Military
  • Search and Rescue Teams
  • Municipalities
  • Elected and Appointed Officials
  • Business and Industry
  • Community Preparedness Organizations
  • K-9 Handlers and Teams
  • Community Training (General Public)

If you are interested in one of our training programs that is not currently on the calendar or need to discuss customized training for your agency, please give us a call at (567) 661-7600.

Training Courses:

For course dates and registration information, contact the CEP at cep@owens.edu or (567) 661-7600.

Community Training

Concealed Weapon Permit Training
HOURS: 12
Train with the Best! This course meets and exceeds the requirements and standards set by Ohio Law and is a required course for those wishing to apply for a permit to carry a concealed weapon. The course stresses firearm safety and broadly discusses several aspects of firearms law. We cover rules for the safe handling of a firearm and will teach you the proper maintenance and storage practices for handguns and ammunition. We will discuss the skills and attitude necessary to use a handgun and its appropriate use for self-defense. The training culminates with hands-on training at the firing range.

Concealed Weapons Practical Skills Training
HOURS: 4
After taking the mandatory training and succeeding in your limited firing range time, spend some quality time on the firing range with our professional instructor cadre. Learn the skills the basic Concealed Weapons Training Course did not have time to cover. Test yourself in the various shooting scenarios that will be presented on the range. The course covers many topics and skills of interest and includes:

  • Live fire directed by instructors, to include safety, common distances, target acquisition, rapid fire and self-paced exercises.
  • Situational immersion exercises including strong hand/off hand, low light conditions and multiple targets – timed and scored with measurable feedback.
  • One to two specific exercises depending on the skill level of the class & the feedback obtained during the class focusing on skills that are difficult to practice without the proper resources.

PREREQUISITES: Possess a Concealed Weapons Permit

Hazardous Materials Training

Fresh Water Oil Spill
HOURS: 40
This 40-hour core course emphasizes oil spills in rivers, small streams, on land and sub-surface. It is designed for persons in industry, the regulatory community and the emergency response area who may be required to respond to an oil-spill incident. This course utilizes classroom lecture, multimedia presentations and practical hands-on exercises to provide students with the essential information and training needed to effectively manage a spill response operation. Students assume leadership roles and direct simulated response operations under the supervision of the instructors.
PREREQUISITES: ICS 100 and NIMS 700

Hazardous Materials Awareness Training
HOURS: 8
Do your firefighting, EMS, police, security or industrial response personnel meet OSHA’s 1910.120 requirements for first responder hazmat awareness training? The objectives of this 8-hour course are an understanding of hazardous materials; the risks associated with them in an incident; an understanding of the potential outcomes associated with an emergency created when hazardous materials are present; the ability to recognize the presence of hazardous materials in an emergency; an understanding of the role of the first responder awareness level individual in their employer’s emergency response plan; and the ability to use the U.S. Department of Transportation North American Emergency Response Guidebook (NAERG).
PREREQUISITES: ICS 100 and NIMS 700 (can be taken online)

Hazardous Materials Operations Training
HOURS: 16
The objectives of this 16-hour course are knowledge of basic hazard and risk assessment techniques; know-how to select and use proper personal protective equipment; an understanding of basic hazardous materials terminology; know how to perform basic control, containment and/or confinement operations; know how to implement basic decontamination techniques; an understanding of relevant standard operating procedures; and an understanding of relevant termination procedures. Meals and lodging are not provided with this course.
PREREQUISITES: ICS 100 and NIMS 700 (can be taken online)

Hazardous Materials WMD Technician Course
HOURS: 40
This 40-hour course provides HAZMAT responders with education and practical training to bring them to the level of Hazardous Materials Technician. Additionally, students will be instructed in CBRNE-specific response skills, enabling them to respond effectively to a suspected incident at a performance offensive level. ERHM culminates with hands-on training using these offensive-level tasks in an eight-hour practical exercise in which the responders will demonstrate the ability to apply skills learned in a simulated HAZMAT environment. This course meets the requirement of Ohio certification to the HAZMAT Technician level and is approved to be covered with DHS training grants.
PREREQUISITES: NFPA 472 Hazmat Operations or above, ICS 100, NIMS 700.

HAZWOPER Training
HOURS: 40
This course is specifically designed for workers who are involved in clean-up operations, voluntary clean-up operations, emergency response operations, and storage, disposal, or treatment of hazardous substances or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. Topics include protection against hazardous chemicals, elimination of hazardous chemicals, safety of workers and the environment, OSHA regulations. This course covers topics included in 29 CFR 1910.120 (e).

Energetic Materials (Explosives) Based Training

Explosives Awareness
HOURS: 4
The student will learn to determine appropriate actions upon receiving a bomb threat. The student will be able to recognize common explosive devices and will participate in a live demonstration of explosives. The course covers how to recognize common injuries from explosive devices. You will then transition into hands-on training to learn various types of bomb searches. You will learn types of bomb-search teams and how bomb-search teams should be apportioned when searching assigned areas. Before transitioning into actual searches you will learn what actions should be taken when a suspicious object has been found during a bomb search. The course culminates in a challenging real world scenario as you “live what you have learned.”
PREREQUISITES: None

Emergency Response and Booby Traps
HOURS: 8
Methamphetamine laboratory numbers are increasing dramatically throughout the United States along with illegal marijuana farms. First Responders may encounter explosives labs and potentially even chemical or biological weapons labs. Hazardous Materials are just one of the concerns of the First Responder as lab/farm operators resort to insidious ways to protect their product. This course will provide classroom and hands-on-training addressing explosive booby traps First Responders may encounter when responding to a potential lab and educates them in lab recognition and the steps they should take to reduce the chances of personal injury or death. The course includes hands-on overview of weapons and booby traps and a challenge course through our simulation lab.
PREREQUISITES: Students must be currently affiliated with a recognized First Responder Agency.

Rescue

Confined Space Rescue (Operations)
HOURS: 16
This course takes the student through the review of the awareness level and on to the operations level of confined space emergencies. It addresses the legal and safety issues associated with operating in a confined space and introduces the student to the latest in equipment and safety techniques. The course concludes with an intensive scenario based, hands-on training opportunity. Courses are designed to meet or exceed NFPA 1670 Chapter 5 (2008 edition) and all appropriate OSHA requirements. The course includes:

  • Size-up of existing and potential conditions
  • Recognition and identification of the hazards associated with confined space emergencies
  • Recognition of confined spaces
  • Procedures for implementing the emergency response system for confined space emergencies
  • Understanding the terminology and equipment associated with confined space rescue
  • Procedures for implementing site control and scene management
  • Procedures for protecting personnel from hazards within the confined space.
  • Identification of the duties of the rescue entrant(s) and back-up rescue entrant(s), rescue attendant, and rescue team leader
  • How to monitor the atmosphere in the space to be entered
  • Rescue ropes, knots and hardware

PREREQUISITES: ICS-100, NIMS 800
Students are required to bring the following items to class each day:

  • Sturdy work boot with ankle support
  • Work gloves

Confined Space Rescue (Technician)
HOURS: 36
This course is designed to meet certification requirements for confined space rescue technicians based on NFPA 1006, 2003 edition. Participants will have the ability to evaluate, manage and perform a confined space rescue in accordance with NFPA 1670 and NFPA 1006. Valuable information is provided regarding OSHA, NFPA and ANSI standards and compliance issues. The curriculum meets and exceeds requirements for rescue training in accordance with OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146 “Permit Required Confined Spaces for General Industry.” Topics covered include:

  • Size up
  • Recognition of confined spaces
  • Confined space hazard recognition and mitigation
  • Atmospheric monitoring
  • Scene control and operations
  • Patient management and packaging
  • Non-entry retrieval
  • Entry-type rescue
  • SCBA and SAR
  • Patient packaging
  • Lowering and raising systems

Prerequisites: Confined Space Operations level course (NFPA 1006, Chapter 5), ICS-100, NIMS 800
Students are required to bring the following items to class each day:

  • Sturdy work boot with ankle support
  • Work gloves

High Angle Rescue (Operations Level)
HOURS: 24
Students are taught the basic fundamentals of rope rescue, knots, appliances, safety rappelling and “pickoffs”. The course then expands upon this knowledge to include more advanced systems and rescue procedures and the accompanying safety requirements.
PREREQUISITES: ICS 100 NIMS 800
Students are required to bring the following items to class each day:

  • Work gloves
  • Standard work duty clothing
  • (optional) Personal harness and helmet

High Angle Rescue (Technician)
HOURS: 40
Students are taught advanced techniques of rope rescue. This course builds upon the Operations Level course and focuses on advance rescue techniques used in rope rescue scenarios. This course is broken up into a 6 hour classroom presentation with the remainder spent at the Center’s 5-story rescue tower. The final exam is based around a high angle rescue scenario. This is a physically demanding course and students should be in good physical health to participate.
PREREQUISITES: High Angle Rescue Operations Level training
Students are required to bring the following items to class each day:

  • Work gloves
  • Standard work duty clothing
  • (optional) Personal harness and helmet

Heavy Rescue (vehicle)
HOURS: 16
This course reviews the hazards posed by new automotive technology, fuel sources and vehicle construction and how to safely remove victims from vehicle entrapment. A focus on large vehicles and multi-passenger vehicles will give the student a fresh perspective of the challenges created by today’s vehicles on the nation’s highways. Students are required to bring the following items to class each day:

  • Helmet (must meet ANSI rates Z89.1-1997 Type 1)
  • Steel toe safety boot (must meet ANSI Z41 PT99 M1/75 C/75)
  • Eye protection (must meet ANSI Z-87-1)
  • Work gloves
  • Firefighter Turnout Gear (can be supplied if required)

PREREQUISITES: Basic Extrication Experience

Railroad Emergency Awareness for First Responders 
HOURS: 4
This training course is designed to provide first responders with the knowledge and skills required to deal with emergency operations on or around the railroad. This training will provide the dos and don’ts of working on railroad property. It will provide the safety and override features of modern railroad and light rail locomotives and equipment, and cover issues surrounding safe operations on railroad right of ways, rails and yards.

Fire Service

Fire Behavior Lab – Live Flashover Training
HOURS: 4
The course gives firefighters the opportunity to experience live fire conditions and a chance to learn the science behind the multiple stages of a fire, beginning with the incipient stage through a flashover. The mobile lab provides the opportunity to witness the fire behavior firsthand with a live fire exercise within the safety of our Fire Behavior Lab. NOTE: This training program along with the Mobile Fire Behavior Lab can be presented at your location. Group rates are available. Please contact us for more information.

PREREQUISITES: 36-hour Firefighter 1A certification or above. Training includes intense hands-on training in a live fire scenario. Students should be of good health and be able to meet the physical constraints of the course.

Volunteer Firefighter Course (Ohio Firefighter 1A) 
HOURS: 36
The course provides the basic level knowledge and skills required to become a certified volunteer firefighter in the State of Ohio and is a prerequisite for the Firefighter I Transition Course. The course offers training in:

  • Fire behavior
  • Basic department organization
  • Safety
  • Personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Ladders
  • Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)
  • Rope and Knots
  • Water Supply
  • Rescue
  • Fire Control

(Academic Credit may be granted for this course if the student enrolls in the Firefighter I program)

PREREQUISITE: ICS-100, NIMS 700

Firefighter I Transition Course
Hours: 84
Designed to transition the 36-hour volunteer firefighter to an Ohio certified Firefighter I, this training course exceeds the state requirements for FFI and the training educational standards identified in NFPA 1001 (Firefighter Professional Qualifications) for FFI Transition. Using the state-of-the-art fire training facilities at the CEP, students will experience a variety of challenging scenario based live burn training opportunities as they complete the 84 course and prepare to sit for the state certification exam.
PREREQUISITES: FFIA (36 hour) card

Firefighter Bail-Out Training 
HOURS: 4
Simply stated, this course can save your life! The intense, hand-on based training program teaches you the skills and techniques as outlined in the new NFPA standards and provides experience using our safe NFPA approved bail out system and automatic back up belay system. Firefighters will gain firsthand experience and confidence as they practice what they may someday need to rely on to save their life.

Advanced Compressed Air Foam (CAF) Operations
HOURS: 4
Your department took the plunge and purchased a compressed-air foam system for your new apparatus. You’ve heard the talk about enhanced operations and better performance, with ratings that increase water’s extinguishing effectiveness up to 10 times. That sounds almost too good to be true. So the big question is how much will operations actually improve? The answer depends on the extent of your training. Filling the parking lot with bubbles or coating the side of the station has their place in learning basic operations, but they don’t necessarily prepare you for real-life situations. The real handle on extinguishing fire using foam can only come from hands-on, live-fire experience. Live-fire experience helps you understand the differences in both application techniques and in how the fire environment changes when using compressed-air foam. Discussions in a classroom can work, but most firefighters will tell you that experience is the true educator. This class takes you through the basics of operation and then moves into the direct application fire suppression. The class covers the new trends in CAF applications and operations including the new research on its use during a primary attack of a structure fire.
PREREQUISITES: Ohio FFI or above

Advanced Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) Training 
HOURS: 16
This course presents the advanced level knowledge of Firefighter entrapment and the Rapid Intervention Techniques (RIT) to remove them quickly. Learn to rescue a down firefighter through an elevated window in under 90 seconds using little more that the equipment they carry and a ladder. This presentation will teach you many tools and tricks of the trade discovered through the years in one of the busiest fire services in the United States, The Fire Department of New York. This is not a typical lecture based training program you will be challenged with intense hands on training opportunities as you learn techniques that may save a life!
PREREQUISITES: Students must be certified as a Volunteer Firefighter or higher.

State of Ohio Department of Public Safety Fire/EMS Instructor Training Course
Hours: 80
The Center for Emergency Preparedness under the School of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness is offering a State of Ohio Fire/EMS instructor training course. This certification is required for all individuals wishing to instruct within the state of Ohio.

This is an 80 hour course; 40 hours are taught online with the remaining 40 hours divided between classrooms and teach back formats using the Center’s state-of-the-art Fire Simulator and Live Burn training facilities.

PREREQUISITES: You must be certified in the State of Ohio as a Firefighter or EMS Provider and have completed a minimum of 5 years of recent service in that capacity prior to entering the class. You must also possess a certificate of completion for IS-100b (IC 100) and NIMS (700) both courses may be completed online prior to the start of the course.
https://training.fema.gov/nims/
FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF PREREQUISITES FOR THIS COURSE, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Advanced Fire Apparatus Operation
HOURS: 8
The course is designed for the engineer driver who is interested in forwarding their career skills through advanced training. This training examines the challenging operation of fire apparatus during responses to large industrial complexes, Strip Malls, large commercial facilities, multi-story structures, and other technical hazards that may be encountered during municipal fire responses. Participants will study municipal water supply systems and will learn various methods for supplying and using dry hydrants, standpipe systems, supporting sprinkler systems, aerial master streams, foam application and how to overcome various issues that may be faced during a large scale operation. The training includes intense hands-on real world scenarios where students will encounter live fire attacks in the Centers 5 story fire training building, car fire simulator, tanker truck BLEVE trainer, and a bulk propane storage tank fire.
PREREQUISITES: Ohio FFI or above

Advanced Truck Operations
HOURS: 16
The physically strenuous world of Truck Operations will challenge the student as they learn through class room based and intensive hands on scenarios. Don’t just look at a tool, learn what it is for and how to use it as you cover forcible entry techniques, advanced ventilation operations, vent and enter, search and rescue and so much more. Learn how to implement thermal imaging into your operations and test your mettle as you are challenged with a real world scenario in one of our many fire based training systems here at the Center for Emergency Preparedness.

PREREQUISITES: Ohio FFI or above. Students should bring an NFPA approved set of structural firefighting gear.

Industrial Fire Brigade Training and Development
HOURS: 40
This class provides classroom instruction and hands-on training in several of the virtual and live fire training venues located at the CEP. You will train with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and learn search techniques inside of our smoke filled fire search and rescue simulator, and positive pressure ventilation. Additional topics covered include: basic and advanced fire ground evolutions, ladder use and placement, the causes of fire, chemistry and extinguishing of fires, fire attack principles, fire protection systems, and uses of fire hoses and fire streams. The course will also discuss the additional challenges faced by the Industrial Firefighter. You will encounter several hands on training opportunities including live propane driven fire simulators, virtual fire attack training inside of the only multi story virtual trainer in Ohio, and use of firefighting foam. Fire Brigade Certificate of Completion and testing for the Ohio Basic Firefighter will be provided upon completion of the course.

PREREQUISITES: ICS 100, 200 and NIMS 700. Full NFPA approved protective turn out gear. SCBA will be provided unless other advanced arrangements are made.

Law Enforcement

Advanced Emergency Vehicle Operations Course
HOURS: 16
This course is developed to meet the demanding requirements of safe emergency vehicle operation. The course is divided into two sections, the first section is in the classroom setting and provides the overview of safe operations and practices that evolves into part 2, an intense hands-on training module at the Center for Emergency Preparedness driving skills course. PREREQUISITES: Students must have a valid driver’s license

Law Enforcement Continuing Education Training Courses
The Center for Emergency Preparedness provides continuing education training classes throughout the year as part of the Law Enforcement Professional Development Training Consortium. For information on how to join the LEPD Training Consortium, please contact Mark King, Chair, Criminal Justice and Basic Peace Officer Academy at 567-661-7439.

We offer four easy ways to register for training courses.