The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) held a 2.5 day training session from July 29-31, 2008 for State Emergency Management Directors.  These 22 highest level officials represented 18 States and U.S. Territories.  The training was designed for Directors who have served less than three years. The training was co-sponsored by the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA).

As part of the training course, EMI conducted five weekly pre-course webinars on the topics of: History of Emergency Management, Overview of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Programs, Introduction to the Emergency Management Assistance Compact and the Emergency Management Accreditation Program, FEMA Grants, and Lessons Learned from Recent Disasters.

Five FEMA Federal Coordinating Officers (FCO) were also present for the class to learn more about the State Director role and to enhance the relationship of the FCOs and State Directors.  Willie Nunn, FCO, Region X, said, “This course has been very valuable to me as a FCO. The relationships I’ve developed here with State Directors are priceless.”

NEMA provided three experienced State Directors to help with the course and provide valuable first hand experience to the training participants.

The classroom training course included information and exercises on the disaster preliminary damage assessment, the disaster declaration process, as well as communicating with the public via the media.

The participants had opportunities to discuss the role of the state director in this ever changing environment of emergency management and homeland security, the current president of NEMA, Kenneth Murphy, and Marko Bourne, FEMA’s Director of Policy and Program Analysis, engaged the students in a discussion of important national priorities.

Dennis Schrader, Deputy Administrator for National Preparedness and David Maurstad, Assistant Administrator for Mitigation, delivered presentations on current and emerging issues.

Here’s what a few of the State participants had to say about the training:

I think anyone who may find themselves in the role of a State Director should take this course. You need to know what you don’t know. Fred Abt - Idaho 

The course for State Director Training Course combined the practical experience as well as the requirements that new Directors need. The Webinar was an excellent preparatory medium. Rob French - Pennsylvania

The course was well organized, brought in a wealth of DHS relevant speakers and provided answers for all issues presented. This venue helped forge new relationships between all jurisdictions. Dennis Santo Tomas - Guam

The areas of discussion were appropriate, and the Director’s input from other State’s as well as the Federal Coordinating Officers experience and input was excellent. Michael O’Hare – Alaska

A great forum to network, gain State and Federal perspective and pique one’s interest in improving our EM Programs. Lou Trammell – Arizona

According to Dr. Cortez Lawrence, EMI’s Superintendent, this course “is one of the most important training activities EMI conducts.  It brings some of the nation’s leading emergency management professionals together to build relationships and develop their skills and increase knowledge of current emergency management issues; we will conduct this training as often as necessary with our partners at NEMA.”