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Learning for a Career in Emergency Management

Learning for a Career in Emergency Management

The vision of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) National Disaster & Emergency Management University (NDEMU) is to strengthen the field of emergency management by establishing an Emergency Management Professional Program (EMPP). The EMPP provides a framework for acquiring the knowledge, skills, and abilities to enter and progress through the field and to meet the challenges of a dynamic and complex environment.

The EMPP academies provide a structured and progressive framework for emergency managers to acquire the knowledge, skills, and abilities to progress through their professional development and meet the challenges of a dynamic and complex emergency management environment. The entire EMPP curriculum is designed to provide a lifetime of learning for a career in emergency management. The Basic Academy is designed to develop the next generation of emergency managers. The Advanced Academy provides professional development in contemporary concepts and issues for mid-career emergency managers. The Executive Academy challenges and enhances the talents of the Nation’s emergency management executives through the application of critical thinking, visionary strategic planning, and managing the complex real-world problems in today’s emergency management environment.

National Emergency Management Academies

  • National Emergency Management Basic Academy (NEMBA)

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    Foundational knowledge and skills in Emergency Management

  • National Emergency Management Advanced Academy (NEMAA)

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    Advanced Concepts and Issues in Emergency Management

  • National Emergency Management Executive Academy (NEMEA)

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    Executive Level Leadership Theories, Strategic and Critical Thinking

Public Information Officer (PIO)

Public information is a vital function in disaster operations that contributes greatly to saving lives and protecting property.

As such, the PIO Awareness and Basic courses form an important role of the foundational curriculum for professional emergency managers, and are contained within the EMPP Basic Academy course requirements.

Learn More about PIO

  • Public Information Awareness and Basics

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    Underlying concepts, and the basic skills needed for full or part time PIOs

  • Advanced Public Information Officer

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    Apply Advanced Public Information Skills in a Multi-Day Functional Exercise

  • Executive Public Information Officer Program

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    Expanded Role in Delivering Strategic Public Information and Warning

IAEM Crosswalk for EMPP

Not only does the EMPP provide the opportunity to receive a comprehensive education in the key aspects of professional development throughout a career in emergency management, but the academies are also a pathway toward achieving certification or recertification of the Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) credential. When asked about their experiences with the EMPP Academies, 97% of graduates indicated the skills they learned from the academies helped them do their jobs better. Additionally, 93% EMPP graduates believed their participation in the academies helped them to add value to their organizations.

IAEM Resources

For more information, visit the IAEM Resource Center, or download the IAEM Crosswalk for EMPP

EMPP Testimonials

If you would like to share a testimonial please e-mail FEMA-EMPP-Basic-Academy@fema.dhs.gov and include a statement that FEMA can release the testimonial to the public

(you can address the questions below or use your own format).

Emergency Management Core Competencies for Training

  • Foundations Training and Education Level

    This competency area focuses on the knowledge that emergency management professionals need to plan and prepare for all-hazard incidents, and to organize and manage emergency preparedness and response efforts

  • Specialized Training and Education Level

    This competency area focuses on the knowledge and/or skills emergency management professionals need to design effective approaches to (plans for) mitigating, preventing, or protecting against; preparing for; responding to; and recovering from all-hazard incidents, both natural and manmade

  • Executive/Managerial Training and Education Level

    This competency area focuses on the knowledge and/or skills that managers need to manage an organization.

  • Strategic Leadership Training and Education Level

    This competency area focuses on the knowledge and/or skills that leaders need to create a results-oriented emergency management organization

Frequently Asked Questions

Points of Contact

Contact these individuals for more information about the following programs

Contact Email
Dr. Kelly Garrett Emergency Management Professional Program
Jeff Januchowski National Emergency Management Basic Academy
Roxanne Falconer National Emergency Management Advanced Academy
Roxanne Falconer National Emergency Management Executive Academy
Nicole Shutts Public Information Officer Program

training.fema.gov

An official website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security