Press Releases
11/10/2021
2nd FEMA National Emergency Management Basic Academy Completes in Connecticut
Last week, 22 public safety professionals from local, state, and federal agencies across Connecticut and New England completed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Basic Academy Series, which is the first of the National Emergency Management Academies under the FEMA Emergency Management Professional Program (EMPP). The EMPP provides a framework for acquiring the knowledge, skills, and abilities to enter and progress through the field and to meet the challenges of a dynamic and complex environment. The entire EMPP curriculum is designed to provide a lifetime of learning for a career in emergency management.
The EMPP includes three distinct competency-based academies: Basic, Advanced, and Executive. The FEMA Basic Academy is a gateway for individuals pursuing a career in emergency management. Similar to basic academies operated by the fire service and law enforcement communities, the National Emergency Management Basic Academy provides a foundational education in emergency management.
The Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) Training and Exercise Unit, in partnership with Shelton Echo Hose Ambulance who generously hosted the 3 week training series, coordinated the delivery of the five courses. This is the second delivery of the FEMA Basic Academy series in Connecticut since 2019. The classroom courses included in the Basic Academy are:
- Foundations of Emergency Management;
- Science of Disaster;
- Planning: Emergency Operations;
- Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP), and;
- Public Information Basics
The goal of the Basic Academy is to support the early careers of emergency managers through a training experience combining knowledge of all fundamental systems, concepts, and practices of cutting-edge emergency management. The Academy provides shared classrooms of adult learners and skillful instructors resulting in a solid foundation upon which to build further studies and sound decisions. The FEMA Basic Academy course work includes lectures and discussion from technical experts across various public safety disciplines, group and individual activities, and mock scenarios and presentations.
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) Deputy Commissioner Regina Rush-Kittle emphasized the importance of the FEMA training; "the training provided to our state emergency management professionals is extremely valuable in adding to the foundation of their framework while enhancing their career development. I’d like to thank our DEMHS Training and Exercise Unit and Shelton Echo Hose Ambulance in their collaborative efforts to bring the National Emergency Management Basic Academy Training to the state, as emergency management professionals strive to be lifelong learners”.
DEMHS Operations and Training Manager, Shelly Carter, who also attended and graduated from the program said, "DEMHS is honored and strives to continue to promote ongoing training and education for public safety leaders in local municipalities. Emergency Managers and Emergency Services personnel and all those who work diligently to protect the residents in their communities are better equipped now as graduates of the FEMA Basic Academy. Thank you to Shelton Echo Hose, Instructor David Heiden, and DEMHS Master Trainer Bob Christ for coordinating the delivery of this academy. DEMHS looks forward to bringing more trainings to Connecticut."
Following the completion of the FEMA Basic Academy, graduates can take and apply the lessons learned and integrate them into their fields to enhance public safety service to the citizens and visitors of the State
For Immediate Release: November 10th, 2021
Contact: Shelly Carter
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection
Division of Emergency Management & Homeland Security
Contact: Ian Alexander
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection
Division of Emergency Management & Homeland Security