Emergency Preparedness

The WMD/Terrorism Awareness for Emergency Responders course provides a basic awareness of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) hazards; how to use the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG); and how to prepare individuals to lessen further injuries or property losses. Awareness-level training does not certify a responder to perform ongoing operations at an incident.This course focuses on training responders to meet the requirements established in Chapter 4 Competencies for Hazardous Materials/WMD Awareness Level Personnel (NFPA 472)” and Chapter 5 “Professional Qualifications for Hazardous Materials/WMD Awareness Level Personnel (NFPA 1072)” of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 470, Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Standard for Responders (2022 edition). This course also covers Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §1910.120(q)(6)(i), and the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP), NIPP 2013: Partnering for Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience. Show less

The Enhanced Incident Management/Unified Command for All Hazards course focuses on incident management skills, staff responsibilities, and the related situational awareness skills using a computer-driven training simulation designed to create a challenging decision-making environment in an expanding complex incident.The course focuses on the processes used in an Incident Command Post (ICP) and the key decision-making requirements within that response node. Command and coordination, resource management, and communications & information management are emphasized. Participants learn from the cause and effects of incident decisions while performing in an ICP and responding to a variety of simulated, notional exercises.The course is delivered (resident) at the National Emergency Response and Recovery Training Center/Emergency Operations Training Center (NERRTC/EOTC) in College Station, Texas. The instructional team consists of coaches and mentors experienced in emergency management and incident response. The course uses a multi-disciplinary approach to accomplish the course objectives. Each participant is integrated into a unified command structure responding to a simulated incident. The course emphasizes the application of contemporary incident management systems, best practices and procedures to the unique requirements of responding to all-hazards incidents.The incident management structure used in the course is based on National Incident Management System (NIMS) doctrine and the Incident Command System (ICS), and is certified by the Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS/FEMA) National Training and Education Division (NTED). Master Course Schedule Show less

Learn about, complete and utilize most common Incident Command System (ICS) forms.  The course will prepare you to work with the ICS Forms used in the Incident Command Planning process to assist in developing an Incident Action Plan (IAP).You will be introduced to the forms and will practice how to develop and write effective objectives to manage an expanding all-hazards incident.  Participants will learn and experience the benefits of using the forms responding to emergencies or managing planned events. Show less

This course emphasizes the unique aspects of response to an incident occurring during a sports/special event, including considerations for business continuity and after-action activities. You will learn the skills necessary to effectively manage an incident by applying and implementing a multi-disciplinary management team approach as described in the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The course is designed to help develop athletic department staff, facility management personnel, campus public safety personnel, emergency response supervisors, and others involved in sports/special event management to better manage incidents that could occur during an event.  At the end of the course a practical application exercise can be customized to your facility where the course is held. This course was developed in a partnership effort between The University of Southern Mississippi’s National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (USM/NCS4) and the TEEX National Emergency Response and Recovery Training Center (NERRTC). Show less

ICS-400 is intended for an audience of experienced responders and other senior emergency management personnel or those who may perform in a management capacity for major or complex incidents. Although this is an advanced ICS course and includes creation of Area Command, it is not intended to develop mastery of area command. This course aims to expose students to the concepts of utilizing area command in major and complex incidents. Show less

The Standardized Awareness Training course provides a basic awareness of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) hazards; how to use the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG); and how to prepare individuals to lessen further injuries or property losses. Awareness-level training does not certify a responder to perform ongoing operations at an incident.This course focuses on training responders to meet the requirements established in Chapter 4 “Competencies for hazardous Materials/WMD Awareness Level Personnel (NFPA 472)” and Chapter 5 “Professional Qualifications for Hazardous Materials/WMD Awareness Level Personnel (NFPA 1072)” of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 470, Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Standard for Responders (2022 edition). This course also covers Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §1910.120(q)(6)(i), and the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP), NIPP 2013: Partnering for Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience. Show less

The Operational Level Response to HazMat/WMD Incidents course focuses on the special challenges faced by emergency responders at the operations level in dealing with a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, or Explosive (CBRNE) incident. Upon completion, participants will be able to respond defensively to a CBRNE incident. This course focuses on training responders to meet the requirements established in Chapter 6 “Competencies for Hazardous Materials/WMD Operations Level Personnel (NFPA 472),” Chapter 7 “Professional Qualifications for Hazardous Materials/WMD Operations Level Personnel (NFPA 1072),” and Job Performance Requirement (JPR) 9.2 “Personal Protective Equipment” in Chapter 9 “Professional Qualifications for Hazardous Materials/WMD Operations Level Responders Assigned Mission-Specific Responsibilities (NFPA 1072)” of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 470, Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)Standard for Responders (2022 edition). Show less

The goal of the Active Shooter Exercise Development Workshop is to provide first responder and city, county, and state officials with the knowledge, skills and abilities to lead an Active Shooter Tabletop Exercise.ScopePast Active shooter events have proven the need for realistic exercises delivered in the community. This course answers that need by providing a train the trainer (TtT) course on how to design and deliver a Tabletop exercise (TTX). This course will also provide template materials needed to deliver five (5) different TTXs, with one (1) of the five TTXs delivered in the afternoon of the training day.    Show less

Through guided discussions, individual and group activities, the AWR-330 Whole Community Emergency Management Planning Course helps participants identify and better understand the stakeholders and resources within their communities. Students will learn to develop strategies to better incorporate stakeholders into their emergency planning process, with a goal of increasing individual, community, and national resilience to all hazards.  Show less

This course examines the role of public information in all-hazards incident management and provides practical training in crisis communication techniques.  In a major incident, it is imperative that community leaders, incident managers, and Public Information Officers (PIOs) are prepared to communicate with the public through traditional and social media. The course consists of three modules.The first module reviews the topics of terrorism, Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs), national response structures, incident management, and government and agency roles.  Participants learn about the passing of information to the public in WMD terrorism, or other all-hazards incident and the function of joint information operations.The second module covers issues unique to interacting with members of the media to help you build more effective relationships and avoid common mistakes when providing information to the press and public. The module includes a mock press conference exercise in which the class is broken into groups to prepare for and conduct press conference exercise in which the class is broken into groups to prepare for and conduct press conferences based on fictional WMD, terrorism and all-hazards incident scenarios.  These scenarios are taken from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Planning Scenarios.The third module introduces the crisis communication life cycle and crisis communication planning.  A six-phase cycle is discussed, with public information objectives and key actions for managing each phase provided.  Participants learn how to create a crisis communication plan and develope a crisis communication team to execute it.   Show less

The goal of this professional development course, IS100 Introduction to the Incident Command System (ICS), is to promote effective response by familiarizing personnel with the ICS framework, and the principles used to manage incidents. This course also prepares personnel to coordinate with response partners from all levels of government and the private sector.  Show less

IMS200 is designed to enable you to operate efficiently during an incident or event within the Incident Command System (ICS). The course provides the foundation for higher-level ICS training, and will provide you with the skill to work at the basic level in the Incident Command System. You will be introduced to the Incident Command System and will learn basic concepts for managing all-hazards emergencies or planned events. IMS200 provides training and resources for personnel likely to assume a supervisory position within the ICS. This course also prepares personnel to coordinate with response partners from all levels of government and the private sector.  Show less

Building on the ICS 100 and ICS 200 courses, this ICS 300 course focuses on the Incident Command System (ICS) for supervisors in expanding incidents. ICS 300 outlines how the NIMS Command and Coordination component supports the management of expanding incidents as well as describes the incident management processes as prescribed by ICS. This course has a threaded activity that will give students the opportunity to practice implementing the incident management process and creating an Incident Action Plan (IAP) for a simulated expanding incident.  This course provides training and resources for personnel who require advanced application of the Incident Command System (ICS). Enhance your Incident command skills and focuses on new concepts of the ICS. You will participate in group activities that introduce the development of the Incident Action Plan (IAP) and demonstrate the interactions between the Command and General Staff sections of the ICS. Show less

IMS320 provides training and resources for personnel who require application of the Incident Command System (ICS). The course is designed to enhance your Incident command skills and focuses on new concepts of the ICS. The course allows you to participate in group activities that introduce the development of the Incident Action Plan (IAP) and demonstrate the interactions between the Command and General Staff sections of the ICS. This course assists any person with a responsibility to function in a command post that is managing an expanding incident. This course builds upon information covered in the ICS-100 course. Show less

This course trains emergency response supervisors and mid-to-upper-level managers in the skills necessary to effectively plan for and manage a large-scale incident by applying and implementing an all-hazards, multi-disciplinary, command and management team approach. The course places specific emphasis on Incident Action Plan (IAP) development and resource management processes. The course concludes with a practical application role-play exercise customized to the community in which the course is delivered. Show less

ICS 400 is intended for an audience of experienced responders and other senior emergency management personnel who may perform in a management capacity for major or complex incidents (Type 1 or Type 2 incidents). Large and complex incidents that require the application of area command don’t happen often. Although this is an advanced ICS course, it is not intended to develop mastery of area command. The purpose of this course is to expose students to the concepts of utilizing area command in major and complex incidents.This course trains emergency response supervisors and mid-to-upper level managers in the skills necessary to effectively plan for and manage a large-scale incident by applying and implementing an all-hazards, multidisciplinary, command and management team approach. The course places specific emphasis on Incident Action Plan (IAP) development and resource management processes. Show less

This course introduces the National Incident Management System (NIMS). NIMS provides a consistent nationwide template to enable all government, private-sector, and non-governmental organizations to work together during domestic incidents. You will learn about the development of NIMS and the importance of a nationwide approach for responding to all-hazard incidents. Show less

This course introduces you to the concepts and principles of the National Response Framework (NRF) and the Incident Command System (ICS). The course is designed to increase and enhance your knowledge of the National Response Framework and provide you with the skill to work at the basic level within the ICS. You will be introduced to new concepts for managing all hazards emergencies or planned events. IMS820 provides training and resources for personnel who are likely to assume a supervisory position within the ICS. Show less

Learn about, complete and utilize most common Incident Command System (ICS) forms.  The course will prepare you to work with the ICS Forms used in the Incident Command Planning process to assist in developing an Incident Action Plan (IAP).You will be introduced to the forms and will practice how to develop and write effective objectives to manage an expanding all-hazards incident.  Participants will learn and experience the benefits of using the forms responding to emergencies or managing planned events. Show less

This scenario-based course provides the opportunity to learn and implement policy-level decision-making and incident management alongside industry experts during multiple simulated events. These All-Hazard, simulation-supported emergency response exercises are designed to hone individual and team skills through the perspective of the Incident Command Post, Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and Policy Group. The course uses a multi-disciplinary, team-building approach designed to give participants the skills to safely manage an expanding incident, whether natural, human-caused, or technological, within the context of sports and special events.This course represents a cooperative effort between The University of Southern Mississippi’s National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (USM/NCS4) and the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service’s National Emergency Response and Recovery Training Center (TEEX/NERRTC), a member of the Texas A&M University System Show less

ICS-400 is intended for an audience of experienced responders and other senior emergency management personnel or those who may perform in a management capacity for major or complex incidents. Although this is an advanced ICS course and includes creation of Area Command, it is not intended to develop mastery of area command. This course aims to expose students to the concepts of utilizing area command in major and complex incidents. Show less

The goal of this online course is to enhance the safety and security awareness of individuals responsible for organizing, supervising, and supporting after school activities and interscholastic athletics. This course focuses on developing prevention/mitigation, preparedness, and response strategies at after-school activities and interscholastic athletic events. Through interactive online learning modules, participants will develop an increased understanding of risk assessment and management, communications, mitigation and planning, professional development, and best practices. The expectation is for participants to gain an awareness-level knowledge of after-school activity and interscholastic athletic event risk management techniques.This course meets Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) requirements for Risk & Safety Management course #7821. Show less

The course focuses on developing a team approach to industrial incident management in a fixed facility and/or operating region.  The course emphasizes the duties of the Industrial Incident Management Team (IMT) during the transition from the initial response phase to the expanded response phase.  And, throughout the expanded response phase until incident termination.   The course will utilize a customized, hypothetical incident scenario, that each client may experience at their facility/operating region, for training purposes.The functions of Incident Command/Unified Command, Command Staff, and the General Staff, working on-scene and in an industrial Emergency Operations Center (EOC) environment, are stressed.  Participants will “role-play” their IMT position-specific duties and responsibilities during the course’s hypothetical scenario while being coached by TEEX Instructors.Finally, the course includes completion of an entire Expanded Response Planning Cycle and the execution of each Planning Process Meeting.  As a result, the IMT participants will create a written Incident Action Plan (IAP), and supporting documents, specific to the hypothetical incident scenario. Show less

This course uses a team approach, focusing on the processes used while operating in an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the key decision-making requirements within that response node. The jurisdictional team will learn from the effects of management decisions while working in an EOC and responding to simulated, notional exercises. The final exercise can be tailored using the jurisdictions map and resource data, providing the unique opportunity to respond to a specific location and incident selected by the jurisdiction. The course is delivered (resident) in the world-class National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center/Emergency Operations Training Center (NERRTC/EOTC) in College Station, Texas. The instructional team consists of coaches and mentors experienced in emergency management and incident response to guide the participants as they respond to large scale, simulated incidents. The course uses a multi-discipline, jurisdictional approach to accomplish the course objectives. Each staff position is integrated into an EOC team, recognizing the unique aspects of the jurisdiction when responding to an incident. The course adapts existing incident management systems and procedures to the unique requirements of responding to all-hazards incidents. The overall incident management structure used in the course is based upon best practices and proven methods for managing large scale all-hazards incidents. Show less