CBRNE Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP)
United States National GuardAddress
Multiple LocationsVarious
United States
Phone
703-607-2584Website
http://www.ng.mil/features/homelanddefense/cerfp/factsheet.htmlSummary
The CBRN Enhanced Force Packages (CERFP) are National Guard assets charged with assisting civil authorities during a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or high-yield explosive emergency in the United States. Each CERFP of approximately 180 personnel includes a command and control section, a decontamination element, a medical element, and a casualty search and extraction element. These are trained forces designed to work together with to rescue, decontaminate, and provide emergency medical treatment to victims of a CBRN emergency. CERFP elements are staffed from existing National Guard units such as the Army National Guard Chemical Battalion, Air National Guard Medical Group, and the respective state National Guard Quick Response Forces.
There are currently 17 CERFPs authorized and funded by Congress, to include full-time manning and equipment. The CERFP States are: New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Colorado, California, Texas, Illinois, Missouri, Florida, Hawaii, Washington, Virginia, Ohio, Georgia, Minnesota, and Nebraska. More than half are fully validated; the remainder are in the process of becoming validated through a series of training and inspections. There is at least one CERFP in each of the 10 FEMA regions.
Starting in FY11, the DoD is reorganizing and enhancing the National Guard CBRN consequence management forces by creating 10 National Guard Homeland Response Forces (HRFs). The HRFs are replacing and expanding on the CCMRFs, or Chemical, Biological, Nuclear, Radiological and High Explosive Consequence Management Response Forces. There will be one HRF in each of the 10 FEMA regions in order to best distribute geographic response coverage and coordination with other disaster response organizations. Each HRF will have approximately 570 personnel attached.
The CERFPs in the following states will evolve into HRFs: New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, California, Texas, Missouri, Washington, Ohio, and Georgia. To maintain the number of CERFPs at 17, new CERFPs will be hosted by Indiana, Alabama, Puerto Rico, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Kentucky, Nevada, Oregon, and Maine.