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Training Information
The following Independent Study courses are made availble by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and may be useful in your preparedness efforts.
The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) serves as the national focal point for the development and delivery of emergency management training. This training enhances the capabilities of the Federal, state, and local government, volunteer organizations, and the private sector to minimize the impact of disasters on the American public. EMI curricula, including the Independent Study Program (ISP) courses, are structured to meet the needs of this diverse audience with an emphasis on how the various elements work together in emergencies to save lives and protect property.
The Independent Study Program (ISP) is a distance learning program offered free of charge to the American public. It serves as both an alternate means to deliver valuable training to the professional and volunteer emergency management community, and an opportunity to improve public awareness and promote disaster preparedness nationally. Each year, the ISP staff issues more than 1,000,000 individual course completion certificates.
The program is open to all residents with a valid U.S. deliverable postal address including APO and FPO addresses. At the present time, most of the ISP course materials are available for download, free of charge from our website.
Independent Study Courses
FEMA Independent Study Program:
IS-10 Animals in Disaster, Module A: Awareness and Preparedness
The purpose of this course is
two-fold. Module A is intended to increase awareness and preparedness among
animal owners and care providers. It includes sections on typical hazards,
how these affect animals and what can be done by responsible owners to
reduce the impact of disasters. It is also intended to help animal owners,
care providers and industries to better understand emergency management.
Module A will heighten awareness of the special issues that emergency
managers need to consider when incorporating animal-care annexes into their
emergency operations plans.
FEMA Independent Study Program:
IS-11 Animals in Disaster, Module B: Community Planning
Module B is intended to guide emergency management officials and animal
owners, care providers, and industries in preparing community disaster
plans. The goal of Module B is to provide sufficient information for both
groups to meet and develop meaningful and effective plans that improve the
care of animals, their owners, and the animal-care industries in disasters.
This course provides the basic background knowledge needed to develop a
coordinated response to a disaster in which animals and their owners are
affected. Further training with local or State emergency management programs
is essential.
FEMA Independent Study Program:
IS-22 Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness
The "Are You Ready? An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness" has been
designed to help the citizens of this nation learn how to protect themselves
and their families against all types of hazards. It can be used as a
reference source or as a step-by-step manual. The focus of the content is on
how to develop, practice, and maintain emergency plans that reflect what
must be done before, during, and after a disaster to protect people and
their property. Also included is information on how to assemble a disaster
supplies kit that contains the food, water, and other supplies in sufficient
quantity for individuals and their families to survive. (This course is available for local, in-person
delivery.)
FEMA Independent Study Program:
IS-55 Household Hazardous Materials - A Guide for Citizens
This course was designed for the general public. The course will introduce
you to household hazardous materials and things you can do to protect
yourself and your family from injury or death. Dangers from chemical
products depend greatly on the individuals using them. Chemicals are safe to
use when people read the directions and use them correctly.
FEMA Independent Study Program:
IS-100.a Introduction to Incident Command System, I-100
Incident Command training is
being developed and offered for a variety of disciplines, including Federal
Disaster Workers, Public Works, Law Enforcement, and Public Health. All of
the ICS training offered through these courses is consistent. However, the
various versions include examples and exercises specific to each of these
disciplines.
ICS 100, Introduction to the Incident Command System, introduces the
Incident Command System (ICS) and provides the foundation for higher level
ICS training. This course describes the history, features and principles,
and organizational structure of the Incident Command System. It also
explains the relationship between ICS and the National Incident Management
System (NIMS).
FEMA Independent Study Program:
IS-111 Livestock in Disasters
This Independent Study course is
for farmers, extension agents, emergency managers and others who have
interests in the livestock industry. It describes the various hazards that
animals can face and how to mitigate them, as well as how to respond to an
actual disaster. The livestock industry is a multi-billion dollar business
that provides food for the American people as well as those overseas. It is
important to insure our livestock are safe from hazards and will not suffer
from the effects of hazards.
FEMA Independent Study Program:
IS-700.a National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction
On February 28, 2003, President
Bush issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive-5. HSPD-5 directed the
Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and administer a National Incident
Management System (NIMS). NIMS provides a consistent nationwide template to
enable all government, private-sector, and nongovernmental organizations to
work together during domestic incidents. You can also find information about
NIMS at http://www.fema.gov/nims/. This course explains the purpose, principles,
key components and benefits of NIMS.