GOAL 5: ENHANCING JOINT READINESS FOR

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE

Emergency Response Training, Maaniladora Workers In Arlzona-Sonora

Border 2012: U.S.-Mexico Environmental Program is a bi-national partnership aimed at improving the border environment by

fulfilling the goals and objectives of the Border 2012 Program.

Border incidents involving hazardous
chemical or hazardous waste releases can severely
impact communities in the Arizona/Sonora border.

Because factory workers are often the first to the
scene in the case of an incident, it is crucial that they
be well trained in emergency response and able to
respond in a safe manner. This education is
necessary for minimizing potential damages and
disastrous outcomes that can severely affect human
health and the environment.

To meet the Border 2012 Goal of "Enhancing
Joint Readiness for Environmental Response", a series of four 3-day emergency response training courses
were taught to maquiladora and local factory workers between October 2010 and October 2011 in the
Arizona/Sonora border cities of Nogales, San Luis R.C., and Agua Prieta, Sonora,, Mexico. Upon completion,
a total of 167 students and local emergency response personnel were in attendance, resulting in 4,108 training
hours.

A two-tiered task force was created to execute
this project, consisting of Arizona State University
(ASU), Proteccion Civil of Nogales, Agua Prieta, and
San Luis R.C., Sonora, The Asociacion de Profesionales
en Seguridad Ambiental (APSA) - Mexican
Instructors, and the Border 2012 Emergency Response
and Preparedness Task Force. The second tier was
composed of organizations that participated through
communication and coordination with the other
agencies, such and the Bi-national sister city programs,

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
(ADEQ), and the Border Environment Corporation Commission (BECC).

The courses covered hazard identification, risk and consequence analysis, and risk reduction. The
focuses were hazard awareness, personal protective equipment, instrumentation, emergency response
planning, and the key applicable Mexican regulations. The impacts of terrorist activities and natural occurring
events were emphasized.

For information on the Border 2012 Program visit: www,eva.zovA>order2012.

Aug-2012

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