The First Observer program has made its terrorism awareness training available online through the program's web site
. The 38-minute training course, which can be viewed in sections, is available in trucking, school bus, law enforcement and trucking modules.

The First Observer terrorism awareness training teaches transportation professionals to recognize potential safety and security threats to themselves or their vehicle. If they witness suspicious activity, participants are taught to file a report through a special hotline where a trained operator can assess the nature and urgency of the call and route the information provided to the appropriate authorities.

"Many of our transportation professionals are on the road a good deal of the time, so it's very important to make it as easy as possible for them to become certified First Observers," said Charles Hall, president and CEO of the HMS Company, grant manager of the First Observer program. "This online video training will make it easier for transportation professionals all across the country to enroll in the First Observer program while maintaining the quality of the training presentation."

First Observer is a national terrorism awareness program that uses the skills, experiences and "savvy" of Americans who spend a good part of their working day in America's surface transportation. Individuals who are transportation professionals are eligible for certification, including bus drivers, law enforcement, truckers and others with a commercial driver's license, emergency first responders, infrastructure personnel and security personnel.

"We're very pleased to add another tool to the First Observer program's training arsenal," said Don Rondeau, director of the Highway Information Sharing and Analysis Center. "The more transportation professionals we have making reports to the national call center, the more likely it is that we'll be able to detect potential terrorist activities."

To access the training modules, visit www.firstobserver.com.