How to Apply for Consideration/Selection Process for an IEMC

National Disaster & Emergency Management University (NDEMU), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FEMA are working with the FIFA Association and the host cities in the United States to provide a menu of courses work to ensure that the host cities are as prepared as possible for this international event.

The Integrated Emergency Management Course (IEMC) is one of several courses being offered to the ten 2026 FIFA World Cup cities in the US.

The Fiscal Year 2026 IEMC selection process will prioritize the FIFA World Cup cities, remaining slots will be made available to SLTT communities that have applied for the FY26 IEMC program.

• Step 1. The chief official of the jurisdiction submits a letter of request, nomination package, and supporting documentation to the respective State Emergency Management Agency.
• Step 2. The State Emergency Management Agencies will review the package and attach a letter from the State’s accountable executive with the appropriate endorsements and forward the complete package to the appropriate FEMA Regional Office. This letter should explain how this request will meet State’s emergency management objectives, include complete contact information, and any additional comments supporting the justification of the nomination package.
• Step 3. The State’s endorsement letter and the jurisdiction’s application package are forwarded to the appropriate FEMA Regional Office by February 24, 2025. The FEMA Regional Office will review the application package, attach a letter from the FEMA Regional Administrator with the appropriate endorsements, and forward the completed package to the National Disaster & Emergency Management University (NDEMU). This letter will include the nomination’s priority rank, rationale for ranking, and any additional relevant comments. Prior to the start of the final reviewing process, NDEMU/IEM will request a consolidated prioritized ranking of CS-IEMC applications from each FEMA Region.
• Deadline. Applications must be received by the Integrated Emergency Management Branch, from the FEMA Regional Offices, no later than March 24, 2025.  FEMA Regional Offices should submit applications via email to FEMA-EMI-IEMB@fema.dhs.gov. A copy of the application can be mailed to:

IEMC Application
C/O IEM Branch
L-101
16825 S. Seton Avenue
Emmitsburg, MD 21727

Application Review Process: The review process for the awarding of FY2026 selections is a collaborative effort between NDEMU/EMI and the FEMA Regions. The IEM Branch will review applications. If additional information is needed, the IEM Branch will contact and discuss the application packets with the appropriate FEMA Regional Office. The IEM Branch will provide the Superintendent of NDEMU with Community-Specific IEMC candidate recommendations for selection, to include the original prioritized ranking of application packets received from the FEMA Regions.

The Superintendent will make the final decision regarding the selection of Community-Specific IEMC. If you have any questions concerning the IEMC Application process, please contact the Integrated Emergency Management Staff at: 301-447-1381 or via email at FEMA-EMI-IEMB@fema.dhs.gov

Application Packages for CS-IEMC should be no more than seven pages in total and must include the following information:

Section 1. General Information about the applying community:

• Community Name
• Sponsoring Region/Agency
• Has an IEMC ever been conducted for this community? If yes, when and what hazard was exercised?
• Is the community requesting an on-campus course E0930 (in Emmitsburg, MD), a local delivery L0930 at a training venue in your community, or would either delivery method be acceptable?
• Name, Title, Email and Phone for Primary Point of Contact
• Name, Title, Email and Phone for Secondary Point of Contact
• Will this IEMC be included in your department or jurisdictional Integrated Preparedness Plan (IPP)?
• Does the course/exercise support your jurisdictional Threats and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment? If yes, then provide supporting evidence
• Is this community scheduled to host a National Special Security Event (NSSE) within the next two years? If yes, then provide supporting evidence
• Is this community scheduled to participate in a National Level Exercise within the next two years? If yes, then provide supporting evidence
• Description of the community’s demographics and critical infrastructure
• Explanation of why the community desires a CS-IEMC

Section 2. Letter of Request from the Community Senior Elected and/or Appointed Official

Please include a formal, signed, cover letter from the community’s senior executive officer, or designee for this application, requesting the CS-IEMC. This letter should be addressed to the Superintendent of the Emergency Management Institute and include the following verbiage within its text:

“If this application is selected for a community specific IEMC in FY2026, the requesting community agrees to follow and apply all relevant evaluation and assessment guidance (EEG, Lessons Learned) and to follow the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) After Action Report (AAR) format. The community is responsible for the development of a formal AAR and Improvement Plan. A copy of the AAR, and Improvement Plan will be provided by the community to the FEMA/NDEMU/IEM Branch within eight months of course completion”