The National Incident Management System (NIMS) course is recommended by the Department of Homeland Security for anyone who works in school emergency management and incident response. Material covered includes an introduction to the incident command system for schools, introduction to the national response framework, incident command system for single resources and initial action incidents, intermediate incident command system and advanced incident command system. These are all designed to introduce and explain the Incident Command System used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Management Institute as it relates to schools across the U.S. FEMA has authorized many state offices and agencies of emergency management to teach these courses, including the California Emergency Management Agency, the Hawaii Civil Defense, the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security and the South Carolina Emergency Management Division.
First responders need a basic understanding of the country's emergency management system, which is why many schools and institutions have introduced entry-level courses on emergency management. Empire State College in New York offers a distance-learning program in emergency management, including a four-credit course titled "Introduction To Emergency Management." This course explores America's emergency management system and process and explains the role the three branches of government have in emergency management. It also identifies the emergency management centers across the country.
A focal point of emergency management training is learning how to prepare for and respond to an attack or disaster. Schools have created courses to meet that need, in disaster and emergency planning, control and response. The University of Maryland University College in Largo offers a class on emergency response preparedness and planning as part of its undergraduate degree in emergency management. The course studies the planning and response procedures for disasters and emergencies through risk assessment, hazard analysis, vulnerability assessment and response capability assessment. Students also learn the various exercises used to prepare for different disaster scenarios.
Many courses on emergency management emphasize preparation before a disaster or attack and communication and leadership during the crisis. But of equal importance are the steps to take once the emergency has ended. Recovery training courses cover the basics of assigning responsibilities to get victims help and to restore order. The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management offers a recovery-from-disaster course that focuses on training local recovery professionals to delegate tasks for short- and long-term recovery, including public notices, news releases and emergency ordinances that can facilitate recovery team efforts.