Incident Command System

EMSI provides a wide-range of all-hazards Incident Command System (ICS) training including systems training, position-specific training, team training, customized ICS training, and continuing education and proficiency training. Our ICS Instructors are nationally recognized ICS practitioners and instructors who bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the classroom. We offer:

System Training

System training is the foundation of ICS training and serves as the basis for all subsequent training, including position and team training. Courses at this level provide an overview of how ICS works, including principle features, common terminology, key concepts, organizational structure, and a basic awareness level understanding of functional and position roles and responsibilities, interactions, and processes.  System training covers increasingly complex ICS topics and concepts as it advances from the 100 to the 400 level.

Position Training

Position training is more advanced than systems training and goes into greater detail on how to execute the roles and responsibilities of a specific position within the Incident Command System. This training immerses students in the detailed expected outcomes, necessary interactions, products and deliverables, processes, and the techniques necessary to be successful in the performance of their specific position in ICS.  Position training is designed to instill much of the key knowledge required to enable an individual to perform the duties of a specific position beyond the basic level as a member of an Incident Management Team.

Team Training and Exercises

Team training prepares a group of individuals to function together as an Incident Management Team (IMT) in a scenario driven training session.  Usually participants have completed position training and may have worked together before. The complexity level of team training also increases commensurate with the qualifications, capabilities and needs of the attendees. Courses range from 220 (Initial Response Team) and increases to the 620 (Area Command Team) level. The specific positions typically in attendance at IMT level training sessions include: Command; Command Staff; General Staff; and key subordinates such as the Situation, Resources, and Environmental Unit Leaders. Area Command Team training courses often include the entire Area Command Team, as they are typically much smaller than an IMT. Team training focuses on building and/or enhancing team processes, organization, information sharing and management, and interactions, so that the various individuals can effectively work together in a team environment.  After all, we like to say ICS and successful incident management is a team sport!

Section Training

In addition to the standard System, Position, and Team training courses, EMSI has developed a fourth category of training courses we call Section Training. Section training provides students with a thorough overview of a specific ICS General Staff Section (e.g., Operations, Planning, Logistics, or Finance). Focusing on the responsibilities of each Section’s functional units, these courses are designed to introduce the roles and responsibilities of the Section during the operational planning process and in support of an Incident Action Plan. This training covers the Section organization and chain-of-command, subordinate units and division of labor, roles and responsibilities, and internal interactions.  Additionally, each course emphasizes the needed interactions between all positions in the Incident Management Team and external entities. These courses are instructor-led training that supports learning through discussion, lecture, and active participation in multiple exercises that provides a realistic, hands-on approach to mastering the skills required of a particular Section. While Section training, on its own, does not qualify an individual to fill an ICS position, it does provide a far greater overview of the ICS General Staff Sections than is typically covered in System training, without advancing to Position training.

FEMA All-Hazards Training

While many of the courses EMSI offers are custom developed by EMSI to exceed emergency management industry standards, including FEMA NIMS requirements, EMSI also offers the standard FEMA All-Hazards Training courses, including the NIMS ICS All-Hazards Position Specific Training Program courses.  The NIMS ICS All-Hazards Position Specific Training Program courses are designed to provide all-hazards competencies and behaviors for Command and General Staff and selected Unit Leader positions within a Type III and/or Type IV Incident Management Team (IMT) environment.  Other courses in this category include related incident management offerings from the National Fire Academy (NFA) and Emergency Management Institute (EMI).  In delivering these courses, EMSI can provide FEMA certified instructors who are nationally recognized incident management subject matter experts with decades of ICS experience and Type 1 and Type 2 ICS qualifications.  Regardless of whether it is an EMSI or FEMA developed course, EMSI still holds the same high quality standard for our instructors, exceeding the minimum instructor requirements.

U.S. Coast Guard ICS Training

A global leader in the training and application of the ICS, EMSI is the prime contractor supporting the U.S. Coast Guard’s national ICS training program. EMSI was the Coast Guard’s original ICS training support contractor from 2000-2012 and played an instrumental role in the overall design of the Coast Guard ICS training and implementation program, including training course development and curriculum.

ICS Canada Training

The Incident Command System is a standard on site command and control system used to manage emergency incidents and planned events. ICS Canada is the network of organizations working cooperatively to maintain a standard Incident Command System that enhances incident management response through improved interoperability. The ICS Canada material includes an operational description of the system, a full suite of training materials as well as policy documents that outline processes and responsibilities for managing the material, training, certificates etc.