Emergency Response Training for Maquiladora Workers Located in Arizona-Sonora Border Cities

The proposed project includes a total of three 3-day emergency response training courses for maquiladora and local factory workers located in the Arizona Sonora border cities of Nogales, San Luis R.C. and Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico respectively. It will also provide a mechanism for future training to be conducted by the Mexican management personnel. The proposed curriculum will include lectures, hands on group activities, and a field emergency response exercise on the last day. The local and corresponding bi-national sister city programs, the Proteccion Civil of Sonora, the Arizona Department of Homeland Security, and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), and the Border 2012 Emergency Response and Preparedness Task Force, will be involved. The training curriculum will focus on hazard awareness, personal protective equipment, instrumentation, emergency response planning, and the key applicable Mexican regulations. Major emphasis will be placed on the impact of terrorist activities. The instruction, course manual, videos, and publications will all be in the Spanish language. The courses will involve direct in kind efforts by personnel participating in the following organizations: Bi-national Sister City Program for both Nogales and San Luis Proteccion Civil, State of Sonora; Proteccion Civil, Nogales, San Luis, and Agua Prieta. Arizona Governors Office of Homeland Security; Arizona Department of Environmental Quality; Border 2012 Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Response Task Force; Maquiladora Association of Nogales, and the Asociacin de Profesionales en Seguridad, Higiene y Medio Ambiente in Nogales, Sonora. This collaboration is absolutely essential in both the initial planning and the operational phases of the training programs. The research team including the P.I. and the Spanish speaking instructors are well trained and experienced with a successful track record of training in Mexico throughout both the Border 21 and Border 2012 period. Deliverables will involve a total of three 3 day training courses held at maquiladoras located in Nogales, Agua Prieta, and San Luis R.C. Sonora Mexico. It is anticipated that 45 attendees per class will be realized. Stakeholders will include: factory workers; factory management; the area residents on both sides of the border; the municipalities; and local emergency responders in the areas which include: Red Cross; fire department, police, municipal officials, and the Proteccion Civil personnel in each city. The total cost of the training is estimated at $68,000. The project is expected to be completed in 12 months. In kind personnel support is expected from the Mexican instructors, ADEQ personnel, and from the maquiladora associations. The prime goal is to achieve a self sustainable training program which would be continued by the Mexican management personnel