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For Immediate Release
March 21, 2008
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Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691
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Training Program Promotes Improvised Explosive Familiarization Initiative
The FBI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Directorate, the FBI Laboratory, and the Critical Incident Response Group, in close cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), have initiated a national training program for FBI WMD Coordinators and Special Agent Bomb Technicians. This “train-the-trainer” session will be held from March 24-28, 2008, at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada. The FBI is inviting media to attend an improvised explosive demonstration to be held at 11:00 a.m. (Pacific) on Thursday, March 27, 2008 at Nellis Air Force Base. Mandatory pre-registration is required and details are provided below.
“This training program is part of the National Improvised Explosive Familiarization (NIEF) initiative,” said Dr. Vahid Majidi, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate. “It is designed to be a force multiplier in our efforts to train bomb squads and other emergency responders about emerging improvised explosive threats in our fight against terrorist attacks.”
The NIEF initiative supports the FBI’s top priority to protect the United States from terrorist attacks by training our investigators and law enforcement partners in regard to the emerging improvised explosive threat. The NIEF initiative will work in partnership with the DHS Office of Bombing Prevention to enhance awareness and outreach programs to first responders, and to inform, private sector wholesalers, distributors and retailers of precursor chemicals that can be used by terrorists to make improvised explosives.
Participants will receive in-depth instruction and course materials in accordance with their respective roles, responsibilities, and technical certifications. They will also receive course materials appropriate for their use in training members of their Joint Terrorism Task Forces, DHS Protective Security Advisors, as well as state and local law enforcement/emergency response personnel. The Chief of the DHS Office of Bombing Prevention will also present an overview of the information sharing system TRIPwire and the Bomb Making Material Awareness Program.
Due to security requirements, there will be no access to Nellis Air Force Base without pre-registration. As seating is limited, all interested media outlets should contact Brian Hale for further details. He can be reached via email at brian.hale@ic.fbi.gov. Additional media inquiries related to this matter should be directed to the FBI’s National Press Office.
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