Institute for Disaster Risk Reduction   

This course introduces students to the principles and applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in emergency management. Emphasizing real-time data integration, pattern recognitions, and human AI collaboration, students explore how AI enhances decision-making, community engagement, and operational efficiency across all phases of emergency management.

 

This course introduces students to data visualization tools, including geospatial technologies such as GIS, GPS, geofencing, and remote sensing, as well as incident management software and data dashboards as they are applied to support emergency management activities.

The Foundations course is an introduction to emergency management (EM) concepts, terms, and operations geared toward those entering the profession Federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and EM agencies, and prospective professionals transferring from another discipline. The course covers: history; legal issues; intergovernmental and interagency context; influencing and organizing; social vulnerability issues; managing stress; collaboration, preparedness, and team building; mitigation, response, prevention, and protection; ethical decision-making; recovery; technology; administration; and future trends. This course is provided in a hybrid format. Students will attend a mandatory online kick-off meeting to orient them to the schedule and work. Students will complete a portion of the class before meeting for a mid-course online activities session. They will then complete the remaining independent study part of the course before attending an online meeting for course activities and the final assessment. This course qualifies for college credit if you decide to pursue a degree. Upon successful completion a digital badge and CEU certificate are awarded.

Register first with the state of Washington HERE for pre-approval. 

Hybrid format: Courses include a mandatory online kickoff meeting, independent coursework, a mid-course online activities session, and a final online session with course activities and the final assessment.

The Foundations course is an introduction to emergency management (EM) concepts, terms, and operations geared toward those entering the profession Federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and EM agencies, and prospective professionals transferring from another discipline. The course covers: history; legal issues; intergovernmental and interagency context; influencing and organizing; social vulnerability issues; managing stress; collaboration, preparedness, and team building; mitigation, response, prevention, and protection; ethical decision-making; recovery; technology; administration; and future trends. This course is provided in a hybrid format. Students will attend a mandatory online kick-off meeting to orient them to the schedule and work. Students will complete a portion of the class before meeting for a mid-course online activities session. They will then complete the remaining independent study part of the course before attending an online meeting for course activities and the final assessment. This course qualifies for college credit if you decide to pursue a degree. Upon successful completion a digital badge and CEU certificate are awarded.

Register first with the state of Washington HERE for pre-approval. 

Hybrid format: Courses include a mandatory online kickoff meeting, independent coursework, a mid-course online activities session, and a final online session with course activities and the final assessment.

This course provides the participants with an overview of scientific principles and concepts that shape our increasingly dangerous world. The contents of the course include the following: Introduction to the science of disaster provides a foundation in the scientific method and its benefits in EM. The atmospheric science sections describe common weather hazards, including convective storms, tropical cyclones, and other hazardous weather. Earth Science describes how the Earth's geology sets the stage for hazards, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis. The course is intended for newly appointed emergency managers from Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency management agencies, and prospective professionals transferring from another discipline to emergency management. Surface hazards bridge geological and meteorological hazards and include incidents such as floods and mass wasting incidents like landslides and sinkholes. Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) threats are described both scientifically and as the threat may be experienced in our communities.

Register first with the state of Washington HERE for pre-approval.

Hybrid format: Courses include a mandatory online kickoff meeting, independent coursework, a mid-course online activities session, and a final online session with course activities and the final assessment.

This course provides the participants with an overview of scientific principles and concepts that shape our increasingly dangerous world. The contents of the course include the following: Introduction to the science of disaster provides a foundation in the scientific method and its benefits in EM. The atmospheric science sections describe common weather hazards, including convective storms, tropical cyclones, and other hazardous weather. Earth Science describes how the Earth's geology sets the stage for hazards, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis. The course is intended for newly appointed emergency managers from Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency management agencies, and prospective professionals transferring from another discipline to emergency management. Surface hazards bridge geological and meteorological hazards and include incidents such as floods and mass wasting incidents like landslides and sinkholes. Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) threats are described both scientifically and as the threat may be experienced in our communities.

Register first with the state of Washington HERE for pre-approval.

Hybrid format: Courses include a mandatory online kickoff meeting, independent coursework, a mid-course online activities session, and a final online session with course activities and the final assessment.

This is an intermediate-level course designed to provide a set of guiding principles, standardized methodology, available resources and practical skill development, which will assist in developing an HSEEP consistent exercise program. This course describes a common approach to exercise program management, design and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning. The target audience for this training are those involved in planning, program management, design and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning of HSEEP consistent exercises. You will gain understanding of the role of HSEEP in National Preparedness, and how HSEEP exercise principles and methodology support efforts across the whole community to improve our national capacity to build, sustain, and deliver core capabilities. This course is provided in a hybrid format. Students will attend a mandatory online kick-off meeting to orient them to the schedule and work. Students will complete a portion of the class before meeting for a mid-course online activities session. They will then complete the remaining independent study part of the course before attending an online meeting for course activities and the final assessment. This course qualifies for college credit if you decide to pursue a degree. Upon successful completion a digital badge and CEU certificate are awarded.

Register first with the state of Washington HERE for pre-approval. 

Hybrid format: Courses include a mandatory online kickoff meeting, independent coursework, a mid-course online activities session, and a final online session with course activities and the final assessment.

This is an intermediate-level course designed to provide a set of guiding principles, standardized methodology, available resources and practical skill development, which will assist in developing an HSEEP consistent exercise program. This course describes a common approach to exercise program management, design and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning. The target audience for this training are those involved in planning, program management, design and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning of HSEEP consistent exercises. You will gain understanding of the role of HSEEP in National Preparedness, and how HSEEP exercise principles and methodology support efforts across the whole community to improve our national capacity to build, sustain, and deliver core capabilities. This course is provided in a hybrid format. Students will attend a mandatory online kick-off meeting to orient them to the schedule and work. Students will complete a portion of the class before meeting for a mid-course online activities session. They will then complete the remaining independent study part of the course before attending an online meeting for course activities and the final assessment. This course qualifies for college credit if you decide to pursue a degree. Upon successful completion a digital badge and CEU certificate are awarded.

Register first with the state of Washington HERE for pre-approval. 

Hybrid format: Courses include a mandatory online kickoff meeting, independent coursework, a mid-course online activities session, and a final online session with course activities and the final assessment.

This course is designed to give basic concepts and planning steps to those new to the field of emergency management so that they may apply planning discipline and skills to challenges in their jobs. The course content includes Emergency Management Planning doctrine and steps to take to accomplish writing plans and using them to deal with special events, which are common challenges for all jurisdictions. The content also derives from the Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101, Developing and Maintaining State, Territorial, Tribal and Local Government Emergency Plans, and its six-step planning process and inclusive whole community philosophy. Likewise, doctrine from the Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 201, Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA), is included in the course. Special event planning is then explained in the course, and table group activities to analyze plans for special events are conducted. This course is provided in a hybrid format. Students will attend a mandatory online kick-off meeting to orient them to the schedule and work. Students will complete a portion of the class before meeting for a mid-course online activities session. They will then complete the remaining independent study part of the course before attending an online meeting for course activities and the final assessment. This course qualifies for college credit if you decide to pursue a degree. Upon successful completion a digital badge and CEU certificate are awarded.

Register first with the state of Washington HERE for pre-approval.

Hybrid format: Courses include a mandatory online kickoff meeting, independent coursework, a mid-course online activities session, and a final online session with course activities and the final assessment.

This course is designed to give basic concepts and planning steps to those new to the field of emergency management so that they may apply planning discipline and skills to challenges in their jobs. The course content includes Emergency Management Planning doctrine and steps to take to accomplish writing plans and using them to deal with special events, which are common challenges for all jurisdictions. The content also derives from the Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101, Developing and Maintaining State, Territorial, Tribal and Local Government Emergency Plans, and its six-step planning process and inclusive whole community philosophy. Likewise, doctrine from the Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 201, Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA), is included in the course. Special event planning is then explained in the course, and table group activities to analyze plans for special events are conducted. This course is provided in a hybrid format. Students will attend a mandatory online kick-off meeting to orient them to the schedule and work. Students will complete a portion of the class before meeting for a mid-course online activities session. They will then complete the remaining independent study part of the course before attending an online meeting for course activities and the final assessment. This course qualifies for college credit if you decide to pursue a degree. Upon successful completion a digital badge and CEU certificate are awarded.

Register first with the state of Washington HERE for pre-approval.

Hybrid format: Courses include a mandatory online kickoff meeting, independent coursework, a mid-course online activities session, and a final online session with course activities and the final assessment.

This course equips students with project management skills tailored to emergency management settings. Students learn to plan, implement and evaluate projects that support disaster preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation.

This course equips participants with the skills needed to be full or part-time PIOs, including oral and written communications; understanding and working with the media; and basic tools and techniques to perform effectively as a PIO, both in the proactive/ advocacy times and crisis/emergency response. Course objectives include:  Using the strategic communications planning model, develop a public awareness campaign ( Using the strategic communications planning model, develop an incident communications strategy, Indicate the purpose of a public awareness campaign. Identify the steps in developing a public awareness campaign. Develop a strategy for an awareness campaign on a selected topic. Change the method of developing a plan to follow the 8-step StratCom process. Demonstrate the role and function of the PIO in both day-to-day emergency environments. Compare actions PIOs can take to work with the news media during day-to-day and emergency situation. Describe different public information written products. Apply effective news release writing guidance. Adapt or repurpose written media products for social media. Describe what types of impressions specific body language might convey during an interview. Identify elements of an interview the PIO should consider ahead of time. Identify steps a PIO needs to take to prepare for and conduct a news interview. Demonstrate effective techniques for on-camera interviews. This course is provided in a hybrid format. Students will attend a mandatory online kick-off meeting to orient them to the schedule and work. Students will complete a portion of the class before meeting for a mid-course online activities session. They will then complete the remaining independent study part of the course before attending an online meeting for course activities and the final assessment. This course qualifies for college credit if you decide to pursue a degree. Upon successful completion a digital badge and CEU certificate are awarded.

Register first with the state of Washington HERE for pre-approval.

This course equips participants with the skills needed to be full or part-time PIOs, including oral and written communications; understanding and working with the media; and basic tools and techniques to perform effectively as a PIO, both in the proactive/ advocacy times and crisis/emergency response. Course objectives include:  Using the strategic communications planning model, develop a public awareness campaign ( Using the strategic communications planning model, develop an incident communications strategy, Indicate the purpose of a public awareness campaign. Identify the steps in developing a public awareness campaign. Develop a strategy for an awareness campaign on a selected topic. Change the method of developing a plan to follow the 8-step StratCom process. Demonstrate the role and function of the PIO in both day-to-day emergency environments. Compare actions PIOs can take to work with the news media during day-to-day and emergency situation. Describe different public information written products. Apply effective news release writing guidance. Adapt or repurpose written media products for social media. Describe what types of impressions specific body language might convey during an interview. Identify elements of an interview the PIO should consider ahead of time. Identify steps a PIO needs to take to prepare for and conduct a news interview. Demonstrate effective techniques for on-camera interviews. This course is provided in a hybrid format. Students will attend a mandatory online kick-off meeting to orient them to the schedule and work. Students will complete a portion of the class before meeting for a mid-course online activities session. They will then complete the remaining independent study part of the course before attending an online meeting for course activities and the final assessment. This course qualifies for college credit if you decide to pursue a degree. Upon successful completion a digital badge and CEU certificate are awarded.

Register first with the state of Washington HERE for pre-approval.

In this course you will learn about the types of technology currently used in emergency management, along with how to plan for cybersecurity incidents that may impact them.