Emergency Management Training
To ensure a successful emergency response, regardless of the type, magnitude, or involved agencies, responders must understand and utilize the same organizational concepts, structures, and terminology in order to maintain accountability, communications, and control for the overall incident. This becomes especially important in large-scale incidents, such as earthquakes and hurricanes, when tens of thousands of responders are present.
The Tulare County Emergency Council has developed a Training Matrix and accompanying Training Levels Guidance document to help local agencies determine the appropriate training for their staff.
Tulare County OES offers quarterly training to satisfy the basic training needs for all field responders (Level 2 on the above Training Matrix). This 2-day training is open to all individuals requiring this level of training within Tulare County, and is presented free of charge. The curriculum includes the following modules and meets the minimum instructional hours requirements for each:
- IS-100.a
Introduction to the Incident Command System (ICS) - IS-200.a
ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents - IS-700.a
National Incident Management System: An Introduction - Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) Introductory Course
Note that the IS courses can be completed online for certificate credit through FEMA's Independent Study program. However, while the Approved Course of Instruction for SEMS is published, no online certificate completion course is available. Tulare County OES strongly recommends taking the quarterly OES Combined Course to gain hands-on experience with the material, along with a better understanding of how the three systems interact and how they vary.
