State Emergency Preparedness Academy

State Emergency Preparedness Academy
Overview

This summary provides a brief overview of the State Emergency Preparedness Academy sponsored by the State’s Division of Emergency Management and the State Emergency Preparedness Association that is conducted throughout the year at a State sponsored training facility.

Historical Background:

In 2004, the Florida Division of Emergency Management appointed Larry White as the Program Director for the Florida Division of Emergency Management/ Florida Emergency Preparedness Association (FDEM/FEPA) Academy. Mr. White updated the curriculum from the previous three Academies and integrated the core courses offered in the Emergency Management Institute’s (EMI) Professional Development Series and the Pre-Requisites of EMI’s Advanced Professional Series. The new curriculum meets the emerging emergency response capabilities required in today’s multi-hazard theatre of operations.

The Academies have proven in past years to serve the State of Florida well in building a solid base of First Responders and Emergency Management professionals that possess the necessary skills and experience to serve as leaders that can be called upon to manage the response to disasters and mass casualty events whether they be naturally occurring or man-made. Academy graduates have been serving Florida in positions of Emergency Management Directors, Emergency Management Coordinators, Incident Management Teams, and all Command and General Staff positions of the Incident Command System (ICS). Additionally, academy graduates have provided Florida with a base of instructors that provide State-delivered training courses.

Three academies have been designed that follow the four phases of emergency management. The first academy focuses on the principles of emergency management and response. The second academy focuses on response and recovery while the third academy focuses on mitigation and preparedness. Recently, Mr. White joined Critical Incident Solutions (CIS), a subsidiary of the O’Gara group, to work with a special task force designed to assist the rest of United States in the development of State Emergency Preparedness Academies and Associations.

Basic Academy - Emergency Responder Type III

Target Audience – This academy is intended to train personnel that are currently employed in Emergency Response and Emergency Management sectors or those with pending employment in these fields. This academy is designed for serious applicants that plan on making Emergency Response and Emergency Management a career and are willing to give back to the industry/field. The academy is designed for personnel with two or less years in the industry. EM Directors, Incident Management Teams, members of Incident Command Systems, Command and General Staff, Emergency Management Planners and Coordinators from all disciplines are encouraged to apply.

Prerequisites: Approval of the State Advisory Committee, submission of a two page essay to be submitted to the State on “What do I plan on giving back to Emergency Response or Emergency Management” and a registration fee payable to the State. Applicants should not have completed EMI’s Professional Development Series.

Applicants should be prepared to train in 72 hour response and self-sustain in a deployment role under unfavorable conditions. They should be prepared to train 12-14 hours per day for the duration of the academy. The agenda is provided on a “need to know basis.” Applicants should be prepared to stay on campus for the duration of the academy. Dress is casual. Agency attire should be brought to the course to wear for the graduation ceremony.

Intermediate Academy - Emergency Responder, Type II

Target Audience – This academy is intended to train personnel who have been employed in the Emergency Response and Emergency Management field between three and five years. Applicants are leaders or have the propensity of being a leader in the community. Participants are motivated to give back to the industry/field. Seasoned EM Directors, Incident Management Teams, members of Incident Command Systems, Command and General Staff, Emergency Management Planners and Coordinators from all disciplines are encouraged to apply.

Prerequisites: Approval of the State Advisory Committee and a registration fee payable to the State. Applicants should not have completed EMI’s Advanced Professional Development Series. Applicants will have completed the following courses: ICS: 100, ICS: 200, ICS: 700, ICS: 800, G-195/300, G-196/400, G-265, G-270.4, G-275, G-191, and G-265.

Applicants are encouraged to have served in a Command and General Staff capacity in the past five years and have completed the Basic Academy. Consideration will be given to highly qualified and recommended applicants. Applicants should be prepared to train in 72 hour response and self-sustain in a deployment role under unfavorable conditions. They should be prepared to train 12-14 hours per day for the duration of academy. The agenda is provided on a “need to know basis”. Applicants should be prepared to stay on campus for the duration of the academy. Dress is casual. Agency attire should be brought to the course to wear for the graduation ceremony.

Advanced Academy - Emergency Responder, Type I

Target Audience – This academy is intended to train personnel who have been employed in the Emergency Response and Emergency Management field for five or more years. Applicants are proven leaders and have continued to give back to the industry/field. Seasoned EM Directors, Incident Management Teams, members of Incident Command Systems, Command and General Staff, Emergency Management Planners/Coordinators from all disciplines are encouraged to apply.

Prerequisites: Approval of the State Advisory Committee and a registration fee payable to the State. Applicants have completed EMI’s Advanced Professional Development Series and EMI’s Professional Development Series. Applicants will have completed the (E/L449) Incident Command System, Train-the-Trainer.

Applicants are encouraged to have served in a Command and General Staff capacity in the past five years and have completed the Basic and Intermediate Academies. Consideration will be given to highly qualified and recommended applicants. Applicants should be prepared to complete their State certifications. The agenda will be provided in advance. Applicants are encouraged to stay on campus for the duration of the academy. Dress is casual. Agency attire should be brought to the course to wear for the graduation ceremony.

State Academy and Association
Development Process

Critical Incident Solutions offers the following services to assist States in the development of their Emergency Preparedness Academy and Association:

Services Offered:

• Development of the State Emergency Preparedness Association. The association will consist of a full-time Executive Director and an Executive Board that consists of county and municipal representatives throughout the State. The association is the platform that supports the academy through funding from its corporate sponsors and provides guidance for certification and credentialing of instructors and training programs. CIS will assist in setting up the association as a non-profit 501-3C for the State.

• CIS will assist the State with the design of its logos to keep consistent with other State’s logos to foster uniformity and collaboration between and among other States.

• Website Development and Management. CIS will offer professional development and management of the State’s websites to include the State Training Calendar.

• Newsletters. CIS will offer a Statewide and National Newsletter for its Academy and Association members and will make it available on the website.

• Conference and Workshop Organization. CIS will provide instructional support and provide additional instructors as needed for mentoring and course management purposes.

• Assistance with Fund Raising: The academy concept will attract corporate sponsorship. CIS will assist the State in identifying and integrating corporate sponsorship to build the Association and the Academy. Federal funding is also available.

Instructor Development:

Primary and co-instructors historically have been developed and mentored through the Incident Command System, Train-the-Trainer and First Responder Academies. Through these venues instructors are typed according to their talent, abilities and experience.

Instructor Typing:

Type I Trainers: Are able to teach State-delivered courses. These trainers have demonstrated their instructor presentation skills and knowledge of the subject matter during multiple courses. They all have at least five (5) years of training experience and have at least two (2) years experience in a response role either in Command or General staff positions. These trainers have also received the G-265 Basic Instructional Skills Certificate or equivalent and have been mentored by a State Training Representative during several courses. Instructors that maintain a State Certification can meet the G-265 requirement. Type I Trainers are also versed in all required paperwork necessary to teach Federal courses.

Type II Trainers: Have the presentation skills, but lack the experience and knowledge of a Type I Trainer. Type II Trainers provide instructional support to Type I trainers and are mentored by the Type I Trainer. Type II trainers are allowed to co-instruct State-delivered training as long as there is a Type I Trainer present. Type II Trainers also have a Command and General Staff role during a response.

Type III Trainers: Have talent, but lack presentation skills as well as experience and knowledge of the subject matter that is being taught. They are mentored by Type I and Type II Trainers. They provide instructional support and assist with all required paperwork.

Type I and II Instructors shall be proficient in the use of audio/visual (AV) equipment and Microsoft PowerPoint software program.

Instructor Development Services that CIS offers:

• CIS has instructor cadres that are Type-1 certified and will offer (L449), ICS Train-
the-Trainer certifications – students can be trained to the same standard as used
in the State of Florida or according to each individual State’s requirements.
• State trainers will be identified, trained and mentored by the CIS instructor cadre.
• CIS will integrate State-mentored trainers into academy curriculum delivery.
• CIS will offer technical advisors and SMEs for courses that States cannot provide.
• Instructional support to include training aids, enhanced PowerPoint presentations
and “attention-grabbers” will be offered to CIS State-mentored instructors.

NOTE: CIS WILL PROVIDE THE FEMA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE’S ALL-HAZARDS INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM (IMT) TRAINING WHEN THE CURRICULUM IS RELEASED DURING THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2008.