Counter-IED Training Courses

All training courses offered by the Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP) are available at no cost. To request OBP counter-improvised explosive device (IED) face-to-face training, please contact your local Protective Security Advisor (PSA) or e-mail OBP@hq.dhs.gov. For the virtual instructor-led training courses, please register online.

Face-to-Face Trainings

Bomb-Making Materials Awareness Program Outreach Officers Course

Participants: 15-25
Audience: First responders responsible for community outreach
Course Length: 1.5 days (11.5 hours)
Prerequisites: FEMA IS-912: Retail Security Awareness: Understanding the Hidden Hazards
Description: Bomb-Making Materials Awareness Program (BMAP) is an outreach initiative, developed in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), to increase public and private sector awareness of homemade explosives (HME) through community outreach promoting private sector point-of-sale awareness and suspicious activity reporting to prevent misuse of explosive precursor chemicals, powders, and components commonly used in IEDs.

Bomb Threat Management Planning Course (MGT-451)

Participants: 15-25
Audience: Public and private sector emergency management representatives, critical infrastructure owners and operators, and law enforcement. Participants may be entirely emergency management representatives, entirely law enforcement, or a mix of both.
Course Length: 1 day (8 hours)
Prerequisites: AWR-333, AWR-337, AWR-338, FEMA IS-100 Series: Incident Command System (ICS)
Description: This course provides participants a foundational knowledge of the DHS risk management process and bomb threat management procedures, and gives them an opportunity to apply this knowledge by evaluating a bomb threat management (BTM) plan.

IED Search Procedures Course (PER-339)

Participants: 15-25
Audience: Public and private sector personnel who are or are likely to be designated as members of an IED search team (e.g., facilities, maintenance, security, engineering, and housekeeping staff)
Course Length: 1.5 days (11 hours)
Prerequisites: FEMA IS-100 Series: Incident Command System (ICS)
Description: This course provides participants with foundational knowledge of search safety procedures and the opportunity to practice live searches of a facility, an area, and a route.

Protective Measures Course (PER-336)

Participants: 15-25
Audience: Public and private sector security personnel at the executive, management, and operations level. Public safety workers, emergency managers, law enforcement, and special event security could also benefit from this material.
Course Length: 1 day (8 hours)
Prerequisites: None
Description: This course provides participants with foundational knowledge on facility vulnerability, counter-IED protective measures, and strategies which can be utilized to mitigate risk and reduce vulnerabilities within their unique sectors. Participants have the opportunity to apply concepts introduced throughout the course with hands-on activities.

Surveillance Detection Course for Law Enforcement and Security Professionals

Participants: 15-25
Audience: First responders, public safety officers, and law enforcement tasked with protecting critical infrastructure and special events
Course Length: 3 days (24 hours)
Prerequisites: FEMA IS-914: Surveillance Awareness: What You Can Do
Description: This course provides law enforcement and public and private sector security professionals instruction on how to detect hostile surveillance by exploring surveillance techniques, tactics, and procedures from an adversary’s perspective. These skills enhance counter-IED capabilities of law enforcement and security professionals to detect, prevent, protect against, and respond to IED threats. 

Vehicle-Borne IED (VBIED) Detection Course (PER-310)

Participants: 15-25
Audience: First responders, public safety officers, security officers, and law enforcement officers tasked with inspecting vehicles for explosive threats, hazards, or prohibited items
Course Length: 1 day (8 hours)
Prerequisites: None
Description: This course improves the participant’s ability to successfully inspect for, detect, identify, and respond to a VBIED. Instruction covers the VBIED threat, explosive effects, IEDs, and vehicle inspections, enabling participants to detect, deter, and protect against the illicit use of explosives. 

Bombing Prevention Awareness Course

Participants: 50-250+
Audience: Public and private sector individuals who are interested in or required to have a basic awareness of bombing prevention measures
Course Length: up to 8 hours
Recommended Prerequisites: None
Description: This course shares general bombing prevention knowledge to a broad audience. It is scalable and allows the host to select from six one-hour modules of training covering topics such as IEDs; terrorist tactics, techniques, and procedures; suspicious behavior detection, and protective measures to build a personalized offering. This course is best suited for large audiences, but is a great fit for small groups as well.

Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) Courses

Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) courses provide general counter-IED information to a broad audience via online training with a live instructor using Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN) Adobe Connect platform. Perfect for participants with time availability constraints, any of these courses can be taken as a stand-alone course. For more information and to register, visit the VILT Schedule and Registration webpage.

IED Construction and Classification (AWR-333)

Participants: 15-25
Audience: Public and private sector individuals interested in or required to have a basic awareness of IED construction and classification
Course Length: 75 minutes
Prerequisites: None
Description: Provides participants foundational knowledge on the construction and classification of IEDs.

IED Explosive Effects and Mitigation (AWR-337)

Participants: 15-25
Audience: Public and private sector individuals who are interested in or require a basic awareness of information regarding the mitigation of IED explosive effects
Course Length: 60 minutes
Prerequisites: None
Description: Introduces participants to the effects of an explosive blast and security measures and best practices that can help prevent or mitigate explosive effects.

Homemade Explosives (HME) and Precursor Awareness (AWR-338)

Participants: 15-25
Audience: Public and private sector individuals who are interested in or required to have a basic awareness of homemade explosives and precursors
Course Length: 60 minutes
Prerequisites: None
Description: Provides participants foundational knowledge on HME and common precursor materials that are used to make HME.

Introduction to the Terrorist Attack Cycle (AWR-334)

Participants: 15-25
Audience: Public and private sector individuals who have responsibility for critical infrastructure protection as well as those who are interested in or required to have a basic awareness of terrorist operations and bombing prevention information
Course Length: 90 minutes
Prerequisites: None
Description: Provides participants awareness and capability to prevent, protect against, respond to, and mitigate attackes that use IEDs against people, critical infrastructure, and other soft targets.

Protective Measures Awareness (AWR-340)

Participants: 15-25
Audience: Public or private sector who require an awareness level of information regarding IED mitigation and/or are interested in taking the protective measures performance based course
Course Length: 60 minutes
Prerequisites: None
Description: Provides participants foundational knowledge on risk management, surveillance, various protective measures, and the terrorist planning cycle.

Response to Suspicious Behaviors and Items (AWR-335)

Participants: 15-25
Audience: Facility managers, managers, and employees of stores that sell homemade explosive precursors, public and private sector emergency management representatives, security professionals, and law enforcement
Course Length: 60 minutes
Prerequisites: None
Description: Provides participants with an awareness of the indicators of suspicious behavior and the basic responses to suspicious behaviors and/or items.

For more information and to register for any of the virtual instructor-led training courses, visit the VILT Schedule and Registration webpage.

Web-Based Training

IED Awareness and Safety Procedures Computer-Based Training

Website: tripwire.dhs.gov
Audience: Public and private sector emergency management representatives
Course Length: 60 minutes
Prerequisites: None
Description: Self-paced computer-based training to provide participants with the foundational knowledge concerning IEDs and proper safety precautions and procedures for reacting and responding to unattended and suspicious items.

IS-912 Retail Security Awareness: Understanding the Hidden Hazards

Website: FEMA EMI IS-912: Retail Security Awareness: Understanding the Hidden Hazards
Audience: Public and private sector emergency management representatives
Course Length: 45 minutes
Prerequisites: None
Description: Course provides an overview of prevention steps aimed at identifying and monitoring high-risk inventory products and reporting suspicious activities to law enforcement agencies.

IS-914 Surveillance Awareness: What You Can Do

Website: FEMA EMI IS-914: Surveillance Awareness: What You Can Do
Audience: Public and private sector emergency management representatives
Course Length: 60 minutes
Prerequisites: None
Description: Course provides an overview of surveillance activities and the indicators associated with them, as well as the actions that employees and service providers can take to report potential surveillance incidents.

Contact Information

To request face-to-face training, please contact your local Protective Security Advisor (PSA) or email the Office for Bombing Prevention at OBP@hq.dhs.gov for additional information.

For more information and to register for any of the virtual instructor-led training courses, visit the VILT Schedule and Registration webpage.

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