This is an up-to-date independent study course training manual produced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on the role of voluntary agencies in emergency management (IS-2). It states:
"Individuals who complete this course should be Federal, State, and local emergency managers, members of voluntary agencies, and the general public who are involved in emergency management activities and require an understanding of the roles of voluntary agencies throughout the disaster cycle. The overall goal of this course is to increase awareness of the roles and responsibilities of voluntary agencies in emergency management. Without the support, dedication, and expertise of voluntary agencies, the government would be unable to address all the needs of disaster-affected communities. At the conclusion of this course, participants should be able to: 1. Describe the unique strengths that voluntary agencies bring to the emergency management community; 2. Identify important historical milestones in the development of voluntary agencies in the U.S.; 3. Describe briefly the history of each National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) member agency; 4. Identify the roles and services that voluntary agencies provide throughout each phase of the emergency management cycle (i.e., mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery); 5. Explain the importance of collaboration and coordination among voluntary agencies and between voluntary agencies and their emergency management partners; and 6. Describe the entities (e.g., National Voluntary Organization Active in Disaster, the Donations Coordination Team) that foster government/voluntary agency coordination throughout the emergency management cycle.
Unit One: Introduction to Disaster Relief Voluntary Agencies. Provides an overview of voluntary agencies and describes the unique strengths that voluntary agencies bring to any disaster relief operation. * Unit Two: History of Disaster Relief Voluntary Agencies. Identifies historical milestones that contributed to the development of voluntary agencies in the U.S. This unit also describes the history of the voluntary agencies who are members of NVOAD. * Unit Three: Roles and Services of Disaster Relief Voluntary Agencies. Describes the roles and services that voluntary agencies may provide throughout each phase of the emergency management cycle. * Unit Four: Working Together. Explains the importance of coordination between the different voluntary agencies and between voluntary agencies and their emergency management partners.
This is the complete course manual made available by FEMA as part of the Emergency Management Institute Independent Study program, described this way by FEMA:
FEMA’s Independent Study Program is one of the delivery channels that the Emergency Management Institute (EMI) uses to provide training to the general public and specific audiences. Within the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, United States Fire Administration, operates the Emergency Management Institute (EMI). EMI produces independent study courses to train the general public as well as specific target audiences. The EMI Independent Study program consists of self-paced courses designed for people who have emergency management responsibilities and the general public. . .and college credit can be obtained through a for-fee service. Each Independent Study Course includes lessons with practice exercises and a final examination. Students who score 75 percent or better are issued a certificate of achievement from EMI. Course completion times vary from two to fourteen hours, depending on the course and the student’s background.
