PNNL

Kristen Backstrom, Tanya Korotkov, and Derek Higgins of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) recently led a team effort that secured external accreditation for the Office of Radiological Security (ORS) Radiological Security Awareness and Response (RSAR) Communications Workshop. The accreditation, granted by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST), provides continuing-education credits for law enforcement personnel and adds nationally recognized value for ORS partners.

The RSAR Communications Workshop underwent a rigorous independent review against established instructional system design standards, with assessors describing the training materials as “exceptional and very detailed.” For the ORS Response Portfolio, this first-of-its-kind accreditation not only validates the quality of the course but also establishes a repeatable model for future training products. 

“For our team, pursuing formal accreditation is a newer step,” said Backstrom. “It’s similar to when a scientist earns a grant and is recognized for publishing their work. This type of validation reinforces that our training is not only well-designed, but effective in preparing partners for real-world response.”

Korotkov, project coordinator for the ORS Response team, led coordination for the accreditation activity. Backstrom led instructional design and course development, using a systematic approach to training methodology to strengthen and formalize the workshop. Higgins, project manager for the ORS Protect Integration portfolio and ORS Response program manager, supported sponsor coordination and helped ensure the full training package met the requirements.

“This wasn’t just the three of us writing a course and turning it in,” Higgins said. “We built upon a foundation of material developed over the years by PNNL, Sandia National Laboratories, and contracted subject matter experts. We refined the course objectives, tailored the content to our audience of law enforcement dispatchers, and designed it to deliver practical skills they can use from day one.” 

To meet IADLEST accreditation standards, the team clarified and rewrote module objectives, aligned activities and scenarios to an intentional learning path, and updated the structure to reflect distinct operational roles, including local law enforcement and state-level response functions. 

“We followed a full checklist of required course elements,” Korotkov said. “The team developed instructor guides and participant guides, built knowledge checks, and implemented a final assessment to ensure the course met all the requirements for credit.” 

Beyond national recognition, accreditation is expected to increase engagement by giving partner agencies a tangible benefit for participation. By aligning with certified training requirements, the workshop enables law enforcement personnel to earn continuing-education credits while strengthening operational readiness. 

“The hope is that this significantly increases our engagements with law enforcement partners," Higgins said. "National certification through IADLEST means the course is accepted by organizations in 37 states, so it directly supports the annual training requirements agencies are already working to meet. That kind of built-in value makes it much easier to get in the door.”

The team expects the RSAR Communications accreditation to serve as a model for additional courses and more advanced training offerings aligned with evolving partner needs.