Quality Control of an analytical process (e.g., analysis of environmental samples, analysis/inspection of a manufacturing process) must be designed, conducted, and reviewed by personnel who understand factors affecting the overall process. This one-day course introduces the concepts of variability, average performance and factors that affect it, and specifications and tolerances. In-class exercises include data collection, graphical presentation, principles of calibration, calibration and analysis of unknowns, and controlled processes. Course participants are often involved in-group discussions that cover topics such as: Predictability as a basis for inference; Control Limits; and Specifications vs. Control Limits. This course can be conducted anywhere in the United States.

Following the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Data Quality Objectives (DQO) process, this two-day course provides a framework for translating collection objectives into a sampling plan that optimizes the number and types of QA and operational samples to collect. The emphasis of the course is on defining decision rules based on specific collection objectives, understanding the potential errors associated with those decisions, and determining how to collect samples so that the likelihood of making a decision (i.e., presence/absence of target agents) error is minimized. The course covers concepts of statistical power, hypothesis testing, and statistical sampling designs as they relate to determining an optimal number of samples and developing an appropriate sampling scheme, within the practical constraints of typical collection scenarios. This course can be conducted anywhere in the United States.

The Hazardous Materials of Biological Origin course enables students to assess and respond safely and effectively to a hazardous materials scenes/scenarios where biological threat agents may be present. The target audience for this course includes law enforcement officers and environmental crime investigators for various U.S. government agencies. Even though this audience comprises a diverse array of college-trained individuals, it does not always include individuals who are schooled in microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, or immunology. Therefore, the training introduces these areas to those with a limited background while simultaneously challenging those with more experience. This week-long course provides participants with classroom and practical experience. PowerPoint slides are used as the basis for the classroom presentation. Instructors may have additional learning tools (e.g., handouts, in-class models) that provide more “hands-on” opportunities. Questions are encouraged throughout the course.

The course is structured so that most sessions, including the practicals, build upon material covered during previous sessions. Students participate each afternoon in a practical in which they apply the methods taught during the lecture session (e.g., microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology and immunology). At the end of each day, a review of the day’s sessions and a preview of the next day’s material reinforce the material that was already covered and prepare the students for the following day’s material. A quiz is administered on days two and four and a final exam is given on the last day of the course. The quizzes are designed to reinforce the material covered prior to the quiz and encourage a review of the key course information. The quizzes also enable the participants and instructors to monitor their progress. Topics include introductions to microbiology, molecular biology, immunology, biological threat agents (i.e., bacteria, viruses, toxins); the immune system; overview of relevant statutes; biological agent production, weaponization, and delivery scenarios; sampling to recover evidence of biological agents; and analytical protocols/devices used to detect biological agents. Course material is updated prior to each course to ensure that the latest information regarding CBRN threats is included. This course is conducted in Austin, TX.

This four-day training program focuses on chemical, biological, and radiological awareness and evidence recovery for material potentially associated with terrorism. This course was developed for, and presented to, law enforcement officials. The training program consists of a combination of classroom sessions and evidence recovery practicals that are designed to reinforce the concepts covered during the classroom sessions. During each classroom session (e.g., Chemical, Biological, Radiological/Nuclear) the participants learn key concepts associated with the particular agents including terminology, identification, health effects, procurement/ production mechanisms, etc. Because evidence recovery is an important component of the course, key concepts related to CBRN evidence recovery are covered in depth. The practical sessions are designed to enable the participants to practice evidence recovery of chemical, biological, and radiological material using effective, safe sampling practices. Course material is updated prior to each course to ensure that the latest information regarding CBRN threats is included. This course is conducted in Austin, TX.

This lecture-based training seminar can be presented to a wide variety of audiences to provide students with the basic information required to safely and effectively identify, assess, and respond to a terrorist incident. Each lecture session lasts no more than two hours, leaving up-to-two hours for Q&A and one-on-one discussion.

This class was designed to provide students with training on how and where to collect samples from the environment. The first half of the course is lecture-based, followed by an afternoon session where students practice sampling techniques that were taught during the morning session. Sample collection planning and collection SOPs are taught/practiced. Topics include sampling strategies (e.g., systematic, random, judgmental), determination of number of samples to collect (based on statistical confidence), sampling equipment, and collection SOPs. This course can be conducted anywhere within the United States.

This course is designed to provide participants with a brief background in biological threat agents, their associated biosafety levels, safe handling, and sample collection under various scenarios (i.e., environmental sampling, in-facility sampling, ad-hoc sampling). Its focus is on how to don personal protective equipment (PPE) and collect samples when wearing this equipment.

A major focuses of this course are a description of the most appropriate PPE that is worn for the various sampling scenarios, experience in donning this equipment, and collecting samples while wearing the PPE. In addition to learning how to don appropriate PPE sample collection, activities are directed at helping students use and hone judgmental sampling skills appropriate for each of the test scenarios. Not only is training provided to the students about where and how to collect samples containing select biological targets, the course also serves to identify to students where targets of interest have a high probability of being found during a sample collection event conducted inside of a bio-related production, storage, and/or research facility. This course can be taught in any area of the United States.

This 40-hour Biology course combines lecture sessions, in-classroom demonstrations, and practical exercises to present basic biology with emphasis on subjects applicable to biological threat agents. Standard course materials include classroom notebooks with lecture sessions and practical exercises (each participant may keep the notebook after completion of the course), videos applicable to course material, three quizzes and a final exam, and reference materials.

Course topics include: properties of life, biological organization, cells (eukaryotic and prokaryotic, kingdoms of life, types of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses), growth and metabolism of bacteria, biological threat agents (bacteria, viruses, toxins), growth of viruses, agricultural threats, principles of disease, decontamination, biosafety levels, detection and identification of biological threat agents, and the Laboratory Response Network (LRN).

This 40-hour Chemistry course combines lecture sessions, in-classroom demonstrations, and practical exercises to present basic chemistry with emphasis on subjects applicable to chemical threat agents. Standard course materials include classroom notebooks with lecture sessions and practical exercises (each participant may keep the notebook after completion of the course), videos applicable to course material, three quizzes and a final exam, and reference materials.

Course topics include, chemical theory, chemistry conversions, states and relationships of matter, chemical reactions and equations, aqueous chemistry, organic and inorganic chemistry, detection and analytical techniques, nuclear chemistry, and hazardous industrial chemicals.