Counter-IED Training and Awareness

To reduce risk to the nation’s critical infrastructure, the Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP) develops and delivers a diverse curriculum of training and awareness products to:

Build nationwide counter-improvised explosive device (IED) core capabilities.
Enhance awareness of terrorist threats.

Coordinated through state homeland security officials and training offices, OBP courses educate on strategies to prevent, protect against, respond to, and mitigate bombing incidents. Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial participants include:

Municipal officials and emergency managers
State and local law enforcement and other emergency services
Critical infrastructure owners and operators
Security staff
Public and private sector partners

Serving Critical Infrastructure Stakeholders

Since 2003, OBP has delivered more than 3,000 courses to more than 85,000 critical infrastructure stakeholders. Participants have included a diverse array of U.S. and international critical infrastructure and law enforcement professionals in support of events such as the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, Presidential Inaugurations, Super Bowls, and the Canadian Grey Cup.

Sports and Entertainment Venues Bombing Prevention Solutions Portfolio

Designed to be a one-stop-shop for countering the threat of explosives, the Solutions Portfolio can assist you and your teams in identifying and connecting to those resources that best meet your needs. This interactive product contains information on and direct access to OBP’s trainings, products, and resources tailored to the needs of organizations and venues of all types and sizes, ranging from large stadiums, casinos, and hotels, to smaller theatres, offices, and areas of public assembly.

OBP Training Courses

OBP offers training courses around the United States through multiple platforms:

In-person in a traditional classroom setting
Web-based independent study training (IST)
Virtual instructor-led training (VILT)
In-resident training courses at the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Center for Domestic Preparedness

Courses cover topics that span the bombing prevention spectrum and are organized in three levels of instruction: Awareness, Performance, and Management. See a list of the counter-IED training courses offered by OBP.

The DHS Office of SAFETY Act Implementation (OSAI) and Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP) have partnered to identify nationally accredited training products and services that meet the counter-terrorism needs of DHS stakeholders. See the Partnership Factsheet offered by DHS OSAI-OBP.

Federal and Federally Sponsored Counter-IED Resources

OBP also maintains catalogs of counter-IED preparedness training and education resources that are provided directly by the federal government or are federally sponsored.

OBP Counter-IED Awareness Products

OBP provides a wide array of awareness products—including cards, posters, checklists, guides, videos, briefings, and applications—designed to share counter-IED awareness information to prevent, protect against, respond to, and mitigate bombing incidents.

Additional Information

For questions on OBP training or awareness products, please email the Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP) at OBP@cisa.dhs.gov.

To report suspicious activity, call 9-1-1 or contact local law enforcement.