The Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston, Alabama, opened its 2026 Law Enforcement National Security Week on 8 March. The resident programme trains police, fire and medical responders from all 50 states in counter-terrorism, protester extrication and continuity planning. What makes the event a mobility headline is CDP’s funding model: state, local and tribal responders receive door-to-door airfare, lodging and meals covered by DHS grants. With many municipal travel budgets frozen by the ongoing federal shutdown, the programme provides a rare avenue for skills upgrades without local expenditure. Roughly 1,200 responders are expected, and CDP charter buses will move cohorts between Birmingham airport and the 176-acre campus. Participants need only a Real ID-compliant licence to board DHS-contract flights—no federal travel card required—streamlining logistics for small departments unfamiliar with GSA processes. Corporate security teams benefit indirectly: many graduates later staff private-sector emergency-management roles or moonlight at special events. Employers sponsoring large gatherings in 2026, including World Cup-related hospitality, can tap this talent pool familiar with DHS mass-casualty protocols. The course catalogue now includes an “Immigration Facility Incident Response” module developed with CBP, reflecting the growing intersection of border security and domestic emergency planning. Applications for the July session open 15 April, and slots usually fill within 48 hours, so interested agencies should pre-register personnel lists now.
