Special Needs Planning Courses Offered by Federal Emergency Management Agency

For many years, Federal Emergency Management Agency has offered emergency management professionals free online courses. Since September 11, 2001 the Federal Emergency Management Agency has worked diligently to update and expand their online course offerings. Federal Emergency Management Agency has expanded their offerings to include courses for the general public, mental health providers, and workers in special needs fields. This guide provides an overview of the courses available for the special needs fields.

Special Needs Planning Considerations for Emergency Management
Federal Emergency Management Agency describes the Special Needs Planning Considerations for Emergency Management as, "This course is designed for emergency management and first responder personnel to enable them to better understand the special needs population and teach how to partner with persons with special needs as well as their support providers and organizations."

Special Needs Planning Considerations for Service and Support Providers
Federal Emergency Management Agency describes the Special needs Planning Considerations for Service and Support Providers as, "This course is designed for people who work with the elderly and people with disabilities, and will teach how to partner with local Emergency Management and better prepare for all phases of an emergency."

Household Hazardous Materials - A Guide for Citizens
Federal Emergency Management Agency describes the Household Hazardous Materials - A Guide for Citizens as, "The course will introduce you to household hazardous materials and things you can do to protect yourself and your family from injury or death...Dangers from chemical products depend greatly on the individuals using them. Chemicals are safe to use when people read the directions and use them correctly."

A Citizen's Guide to Disaster Assistance
Federal Emergency Management Agency describes the Citizen's Guide to Disaster Assistance as, "This independent study course provides a basic understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the local community, State, and the federal government in providing disaster assistance. It is appropriate for both the general public and those involved in emergency management who need a general introduction to disaster assistance." While this course was meant for the general public, it can be very useful to practicioners in special needs fields.

A Citizen's Guide to Disaster Assistance
Federal Emergency Management Agency describes the Citizen's Guide to Disaster Assistance as, "This independent study course provides a basic understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the local community, State, and the federal government in providing disaster assistance. It is appropriate for both the general public and those involved in emergency management who need a general introduction to disaster assistance."

Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness
Federal Emergency Management Agency describes the Citizen's Guide to Disaster Assistance as, "An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness" has been designed to help the citizens of this nation learn how to protect themselves and their families against all types of hazards. It can be used as a reference source or as a step-by-step manual."

Professional Development Series
Federal Emergency Management Agency's Professional Development Series was originally created to train new Emergency Management Directors. Since 2001, this series has proven helpful in training anyone whose responsibilities include planning for emergencies, creating emergency plans, and/or coordinating their facility's emergency response. Federal Emergency Management Agency's Professional development series consists of six courses; Exercise Design, Fundamentals of Emergency Management, Emergency Planning, Leadership & Influence, Decision Making and Problem Solving, Effective Communications, Developing and Managing Volunteers.

For special needs populations, emergency planning requires special attention. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) created several emergency management courses for special needs professionals. Of these courses include such subjects as exercise design, the fundamentals of emergency management, and emergency planning for special needs populations. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers these courses free of charge. Hopefully, this overview has provided special needs professionals with a road map to expand their emergency planning knowledge.

References
Special Needs Planning Considerations for Emergency Management. Federal Emergency Management Agency. n.d. Retrieved on November 20, 2009 from http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is197EM.asp
Special Needs Planning Considerations for Service and Support Providers. Federal Emergency Management Agency. n.d. Retrieved on November 20, 2009 from http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is197SP.asp
Household Hazardous Materials - A Guide for Citizens. Federal Emergency Management Agency. n.d. Retrieved on November 20, 2009 from http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is55.asp
A Citizen's Guide to Disaster Assistance. Federal Emergency Management Agency. n.d. Retrieved on November 20, 2009 from http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is7.asp
Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness. Federal Emergency Management Agency. n.d. Retrieved on November 20, 2009 from http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is22.asp