FEMA Professional Development Series

[AirDX]

FEMA offers a series of courses that they bill as their Professional Development Series:

https://training.fema.gov/IS/searchIS.asp?keywords=PDS

It consists of 7 courses:

• An Introduction to Exercises
• Fundamentals of Emergency Management
• Emergency Planning
• Leadership & Influence
• Decision Making and Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Developing and Managing Volunteers

After completing all 7, FEMA issues you a separate certificate for the PDS.

I did them last fall and got the certificate.  I though it was a pretty good series, and with some good stuff applicable to CAP.  I was wondering if anyone else had done it, what you thought, and if anyone thought it might have a place in our PD program?  I could see it fitting into Level III - there's a discussion going on elsewhere about making the Yeager mandatory for Level III, so I thought it might be appropriate. 

[Private Investigator]

I did not know about the series.

Thanks for the heads up   :clap:

[Woodsy]

I have done the first 2 and plan on doing the rest soon.  I think they're very worthwhile courses.

There could be a use for these within CAP, but I think it might be more useful on the ES side for ops quals rather than for PD and level x completion. 

[isuhawkeye]

the PDS is a great benchmark for education in the Emergency Management world.  My state offers many of these courses as in person deliveries if you don't want to do them all in front of a computer. 

[Garibaldi]

I am considering becoming a volunteer firefighter. I went to a meeting this past Thursday and they briefly discussed the NIMS and ICS structures, but the instructor said he wasn't going to make anyone go through the courses. Is that wrong, or is it just me? Having taken the required IS courses, I'm not sure if it would be an asset or not, but they really need them based on what he talked about, with several different agencies showing up and self-dispatching to accident and fire scenes.

[EMT-83]

It's not just you, it's wrong.

There's a lot of good ole' boys out there that just don't get it – just like CAP.

[GroundHawg]

I did it many years ago, and have it on my resume'. Since Im trying to get a job as an Emergency Manager, I figured it couldnt hurt

[Capt_Redfox30]

I am a member of my counties Emergency Management agency as well and it is highly encouraged that we complete this training within a year of joining.  I am also working on my states EM certifications, I have completed the first level called Illinois Professional Development Series (IPDS) and my application for the second level called the Illinois Professional Emergency Manager (IPEM) has been submitted and I am waiting for approval on that.  These are the links for the training. 

IPDS
http://www.state.il.us/iema/training/pds/prof_dev.htm

This certification requires that all applicants complete the FEMA PDS courses as well as other state specific courses. 

IPEM
http://www.state.il.us/iema/training/ipem/ipem.htm

I am sure that all state Emergency Mangment Agencies have an equivilant type of training.  The IPEM took me 1 year to compelte and I had to take  several in residence courses.

Not everything relates to CAP activities but I thought it was good training to take and would help anyone who is interested in Emergency Management get a general knowledge about all aspects involved.     

[isuhawkeye]

Garibaldi and others,

The ICS and NIMS curriculum have almost universally been integrated into Fire Fighter 1, EMT, First responder, and Law enforcement  curriculum.  There is often times no need to be redundant and take a third party course for material that is integrated into their existing requirements.

[Garibaldi]

This guy was talking as if he wouldn't make anyone take the NIMS courses. He kind of brushed over them.

[nesagsar]

Take as many FEMA courses as you can if you want to be competitive for EM jobs. It worked for me as you can see on my resume. PDS is actually required at the SOC within the second year on the deck now.

[rugger1869]

I took the entire PD course yesterday and it took, literally, 2 hours. The tests are easy if you know anything about operations design and emergency management.

[isuhawkeye]

With that done you should tackle the Advanced Professional Series (APS)

http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/aps/

[rugger1869]

I would love to do that, but I'm in Germany for the next two years...so if it isn't online, it isn't getting done. :/

[SARDOC]

I would love to do that, but I'm in Germany for the next two years...so if it isn't online, it isn't getting done. :/

If you are on a military base, try making contact with the Base's Emergency Manager...they occasionally sponsor classes for the emergency services folks in order to meet accreditation criteria.  Probably won't get everything but might be able to squeeze out a class or two while there.