Chemical, Ordnance, Biological and Radiological Training Facility (COBRA)

The Chemical, Ordnance, Biological, and Radiological Training Facility (COBRA) is operated by the Center for Domestic Preparedness, a federal training facility under the leadership of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Department of Homeland Security. What makes the COBRA unique is that it’s the only facility in the nation that offers emergency responders an opportunity to operate in an environment using the nerve agents GB and VX. According to the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, the measures of confidence are clearly higher for personnel who train with genuine toxic agents than for those who train with a simulated agent. Responder students walk away from the COBRA training experience with the self-assurance to enter a contaminated environment, perform their responsibilities to rescue victims, and mitigate the scene without becoming victims themselves.