Risk Management Series

Building Design 
for Homeland 
Security 
Instructor Guide 
January 2004


FEMA 
E
 
1
5
5
 
E155/ January 2004

RISK MANAGEMENT SERIES 
Building Design for 
Homeland Security

PROVIDING PROTECTION TO PEOPLE AND BUILDINGS 
Instructor Guide 
www.fema.gov 
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this 
publication do not necessarily reflect the views of FEMA. Additionally, neither FEMA 
or any of its employees makes any warrantee, expressed or implied, or assumes any 
legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any 
information, product, or process included in this publication. Users of information 
from this publication assume all liability arising from such use.


BACKGROUND AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

BACKGROUND 
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) developed the Building Design for 
Homeland Security Course (E155), to provide needed information on how to mitigate 
the effects of potential terrorist attacks. 
The purpose of E155 is to familiarize students with assessment methodologies 
available to identify the relative level of risk for various threats, including blast and 
chemical, biological, or radiological. The students will be introduced to FEMA 426 
and will be asked to provide cost-effective mitigation measures for a range of 
manmade hazards. The primary target audience for this course includes engineers, 
architects, and building officials.


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
Principal Authors: 
Michael Chipley, UTD, Inc. 
Michael Kaminskas, UTD, Inc.


Contributors: 
Milagros Kennett, FEMA, Project Officer, Risk Management 
Series Publications 
Dan Bondroff, EMI Training Specialist 
Eric Letvin, Greenhorne & OÕMara, Inc., Consultant 
Project Manager 
Christopher Arnold, Building Systems Development, Inc. 
Dwight Johnson, All About Training Instruction System 
Designer 
Gina Wightman, All About Training Instruction System 
Designer 
Deb Daly, Greenhorne & OÕMara, Inc. 
Wanda Rizer, Greenhorne & OÕMara, Inc. 
Julie Liptak, Greenhorne & OÕMara, Inc. 
BACKGROUND AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
This course was prepared under contract to FEMA. It will be revised periodically, and 
comments and feedback to improve future editions are welcome. Please send 
comments and feedback by e-mail to riskmanagementseriespubs@dhs.go v 
BACKGROUND AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Course Title:  Building Design for Homeland Security Course Title:  Building Design for Homeland Security 
AGENDA 
Day 1 

Instructor 
8:30 a.m. 
Unit I Ð Introduction and Course 
Michael Chipley, Ph.D. 

Overview 

10:00 a.m. 
Break 
Eric Letvin, Esq. 
10:15 a.m. 
Unit II Ð Asset Value Assessment 
Eric Letvin, Esq. 
11:30 a.m. 
Lunch 
Eric Letvin, Esq. 
12:30 p.m. 
Unit III Ð Threat/Hazard Assessment 
Michael Chipley, Ph.D. 
1:45 p.m. 
Break 
Eric Letvin, Esq. 
2:00 p.m. 
Unit IV Ð Vulnerability Assessment 
Michael Kaminskas, P.E. 
3:45 p.m. 
Break 
Eric Letvin, Esq. 
4:00 p.m. 
Unit V Ð Risk Assessment/Risk 
Eric Letvin, Esq. 

Management 

4:45 p.m. 
Day 1 Wrap-up and Day 2 Forecast 
Eric Letvin, Esq. 
5:00 p.m. 
Dinner 
Eric Letvin, Esq. 


AGENDA 

Day 2 

Instructor 
8:30 a.m. 
Day 1 Review and Day 2 Overview 
Eric Letvin, Esq. 
8:45 a.m. 
Unit V Ð Risk Assessment/Risk 
Michael Chipley, Ph.D. 

Management (continued) 

9:15 a.m. 
Unit VI Ð Explosive Blast 
Michael Kaminskas, P.E. 
10:15 a.m. 
Break 
Eric Letvin, Esq. 
10:30 a.m. 
Unit VII Ð Chemical, Biological, and 
Michael Chipley, Ph.D. 

Radiological Measures 

11:30 a.m. 
Lunch 
Eric Letvin, Esq. 
12:30 p.m. 
Written Exam 
Michael Chipley, Ph.D. 


Michael Kaminskas, P.E. 
1:00 p.m. 
Written Exam Review 
Michael Chipley, Ph.D. 


Michael Kaminskas, P.E. 
1:30 p.m. 
Break 
Eric Letvin, Esq. 
1:45 p.m. 
Unit VIII Ð Site and Layout Design 
Chris Arnold, FAIA 

Guidance 

3:30 p.m. 
Break 
Eric Letvin, Esq. 
3:45 p.m. 
Unit VIII Ð Site and Layout Design 
Chris Arnold, FAIA 

Guidance (continued) 

4:30 p.m. 
Day 2 Wrap-up and Day 3 Forecast 
Eric Letvin, Esq. 
5:00 p.m. 
Dinner 
Eric Letvin, Esq. 

Course Title:  Building Design for Homeland Security 
AGENDA 
Day 3 
8:30 a.m. 
Day 2 Review and Day 3 Overview 
8:45 a.m. 
Unit IX Ð Building Design Guidance 
10:15 a.m. 
Break 
10:30 a.m. 
Unit IX Ð Building Design Guidance 

(continued) 
11:30 a.m. 
Lunch 
12:30 p.m. 
Unit X Ð Electronic Security Systems 
1:15 p.m. 
Break 
1:30 p.m. 
Unit XI Ð Finalization of Case Study 

Results [Goal is to brief building owner on 

prioritized recommendations and 

justifications for security work.] 
2:15 p.m. 
Break 
2:30 p.m. 
Unit XI Ð Presentation of Group Case 

Study Results and Discussion (continued) 

[Assumes 6 teams and 10 minutes per team 

to present and 5 minutes per team to 

discuss.] 
4:00 p.m. 
Unit XII Ð Course Wrap-up 
5:00 p.m. 
Adjourn 



Instructor 
Eric Letvin, Esq. Michael Kaminskas, P.E. Eric Letvin, Esq. Michael Kaminskas, P.E. 
Eric Letvin, Esq. Eric Letvin, Esq. Eric Letvin, Esq. 
Michael Chipley, Ph.D. Michael Kaminskas, P.E. 
Eric Letvin, Esq. 
Michael Chipley, Ph.D. Michael Kaminskas, P.E. 
Eric Letvin, Esq. Eric Letvin, Esq.