Center for Domestic Preparedness

In 1998, the plan to establish a federally operated site to train civilian emergency responders was put into motion using facilities already in place at Fort McClellan.

Elected officials from across Alabama and local community leaders continued to seek ways to utilize the soon-to-be-abandoned Army facility.

A concept was developed and presented to members of Congress, who recognized the national benefit of having a facility dedicated to training civilian emergency responders under federal government management.

In April 1998, the Department of Justice held an emergency responder stakeholders conference regarding Weapon of mass destruction training.

In 2003, the CDP was transferred to the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS); and in 2007, to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The Health and Human Services planned to use the facility's dorms to quarantine patients with COVID-19, especially those coming from Japan via Caliburn International, a government contractor.

[1] By October 2001, 2,400 emergency responders had participated in CDP training programs; that number would increase to more than 10,000 the following year, in the wake of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center.

The COBRATF features civilian training exercises in a genuine toxic environment, using the chemical agents Sarin (GB) and VX.

These toxins are typically referred to as nerve agents and are included in the United Nations Chemical Weapons Convention which allows for use in defensive training in a controlled environment.