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.