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Spring '04 Laborers’ Training… Helping To Keep Our Nation Safe.
In the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
on the United States, Laborers-AGC Education and Training Fund stepped
forward to make training an important component to ensuring our nation’s
security. Under a grant from the National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences (NIEHS), the Fund developed training courses designed to
prepare those who must respond to incidents involving weapons of mass
destruction (WMD).
The training scenarios, which are a part of Laborers-AGC’s courses,
became a reality when the U.S. Capitol Special Alert Team and the
District of Columbia Metro Police Alert Team were called to be the first
on the scene after Ricin was found in Senator Frist’s Congressional
office on Monday, February 2nd. Since 2001, the Laborers-AGC and the
West Virginia Laborers’ Training Trust Fund mobile unit have trained
over 260 law enforcement agents in the DC area, including the U.S.
Capitol Police, DC Metro Police, the Federal Protection Service, the
U.S. Marshal’s Service, and the Supreme Court Police. Of those trained
by Laborers-AGC, 180 were from the DC Metro Police Department. Sergeant
Frank Edward of the DC Metro Police Department explained that all the
protocols developed by the department have been based on the training
courses and information provided by Laborers-AGC.
“Without the Laborers-AGC, we would not have a foundation from which to
go by,” said Sgt. Edward, “the training provided by the Laborers-AGC has
made our nation’s capital safer.”
The training conducted by Laborers-AGC and the West Virginia Laborers’
mobile unit was customized to address the needs of law enforcement by
emphasizing hazard recognition and the proper use of personal protective
equipment, particularly respirators. The 50-hour course also included
special equipment training, information on explosives, biological and
chemical WMD’s, health effects, decontamination, monitoring and
sampling, and field exercises and dressouts.
“Our commitment to training has provided us with a multi-skilled,
trained, and productive workforce like no one else’s,” said LIUNA
General President Terry O’Sullivan, “I am proud that because of our
dedication to training and our close relationship with federal and local
law enforcement agencies, the Laborers’ training programs were able to
aid in keeping our nation and its citizens safe at such a critical
time.”
Since 1987, Laborers-AGC through its affiliated training funds has
provided environmental remediation training under the NIEHS grant, to
nearly 100,000 workers. Because of partnerships like this, we are able
to address the needs of workers across the nation. Laborers’ training
stands out among the rest in producing the most highly skilled and
safest workers in the industry and beyond.
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