GW Program Prepares Public Safety Professionals for High-Stakes Events

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The Indianapolis 500 is a crown jewel event in the state of Indiana as 300,000 to 350,000 people routinely pack the famous speedway every Memorial Day Weekend in the Hoosier State's capital city.

And while the famous motor race is a haven for fans from the Midwest and beyond, that many people in one place carries just as much risk for a catastrophic episode as it does the thrill of "IndyCars" zooming faster than 200 miles per hour around the oval.

For years, Jason Kephart has been a part of the behind-the-scenes team averting those risks and ensuring the safety of all the fans both inside and outside the famous venue in northwest Indianapolis.

"Our goal is always to protect the community," said Kephart, who has made a career of security and public safety in his home state.

Community welfare has long been Kephart's driving force, and he recently tapped into the George Washington University to further his own skillset.

Kephart is the wearer of many hats. Full time, he is the Indianapolis campus director of emergency management for Indiana University. Part time, he serves as his local community's fire marshal, where in that role he is also the head of the hazardous materials group and serves on multiple state task forces. Additionally, he is the assistant fire chief at another local department and also runs his own business helping organizations and individuals with public-safety-related tasks.

His latest hat came courtesy of GW, where he recently graduated from the College of Professional Studies' inaugural Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, High-yield Explosives and Weapons of Mass Destruction (CBRNE-WMD) credentials programdesigned to prepare early and developing professionals for the complexities of an evolving threat environment.

The program comprises three interdependent micro-credentials--leadership and policy,emerging threats and technology, and medical management and pre-hospital considerations-culminating in a capstone event in D.C. at GW to close out the program.

Each micro-credential program is an eight-week course that meets once a week in the evenings as GW faculty, including CPS' Jeff Delinskiand Elaine Lammert, and industry experts share insights in a collaborative, interactive online learning environment.

The capstone portion of the program meets for two days at GW, where participants spend two days simulating real-world threats through high-pressure exercises that demonstrate a readiness to operate effectively under intense, time-sensitive conditions.

"Our nation needs talent development platforms that meet the rising demand of the global CBRNE threats, at the speed of relevance, that this field requires," wrote CBRNE Training Specialist and Homeland Security Advisory Panel Member Bobby Baker on the program's website. Kephart had previously completed several CBRNE courses that Baker taught, and that connection helped land him in this GW cohort, where Baker is one of the industry experts of the program.

The capstone scenarios for Kephart's cohort, which convened on campus for two days in early November, centered around hypothetical threats during the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup, scheduled to take place this summer on North American soil. One scenario challenged participants to isolate a biological incident stemming from the Kansas City airport in the lead-up to match day in the city, while the other dealt with a radiological device being set off outside MetLife Stadium in the New York City metro area while a match was taking place.

Utilizing his experiences working security and emergency management for the Indianapolis 500, Kephart appreciated the opportunity to put his years of training to the test while learning from peers that came from a variety of backgrounds-including military personnel, contractors, scientists, academia and FEMA.

"Being able to contribute that real-world perspective was important to me," Kephart said. "Not many people have experience dealing with real operational threats, and sharing that knowledge, while also learning from others, was incredibly valuable.

"Everyone in the cohort genuinely wanted to be there. This wasn't about checking a box for a certification. It was about self-improvement and advancing the field. Working with people who have that mindset makes a huge difference."

Participants from the capstone experience are now working on writing a white paper based on the two scenarios.

Kephart noted that ideally, first responders and public safety personnel face little to no action at these types of largely attended events. But if they are sprung into duty, they are trained in both preventing and responding to threats. Learning and networking through an opportunity such as the GW CBRNE-WMD program will only make them more prepared, he said.

"At the end of the day, we're responders, and we're going to do what needs to be done to protect people," Kephart said. "That's why we plan for the worst-because if we're doing our homework, we know the bad actors are doing theirs too. Our job is to be ready for whatever they might throw at us."

The next credentials for the program start March 30 and June 22. Interested professionals are encouraged to learn moreand apply.

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