EMI Grams

2007 EMI Gram: 722 - IS250 “Emergency Support Function 15 External Affairs: A New Approach to Emergency Communication and Information Distribution” Independent Study Course

Release Date: 12/4/2007

Course Description/Goal: This course provides basic training on the concept and practical application of the ESF 15 Standard Operating Procedures to support Federal domestic incidents requiring a coordinated Federal response. The course is designed for all External Affairs staff (Public Affairs, Office of Legislative Affairs, Community Relations, Intergovernmental Affairs, and Private Sector), regardless of duty station, as well as to staff in all other agency divisions and Federal, tribal, State, local and voluntary agency partners.
The course is offered as an Independent Study course, with an optional conference call session available to students on a weekly basis who have additional questions. Students view videos online in conjunction with the participants’ guide then complete the final exam, also online.

Course Objectives: At the completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

Explain the purpose of ESF 15 and its relation to External Affairs and the National Response Plan (NRP).
Understand the benefits of integrated and coordinated communications that are at the core of ESF 15.
List the key methods of communication and the key tools used to ensure consistency in activation and communications.
Describe the leadership structure of ESF 15 and the basic responsibilities of the seven components that comprise ESF 15.

Audience: The course is intended as instruction for all Federal interagency staff, other emergency support function representatives, and all Federal agencies that are signatories of the National Response Plan (NRP). Additionally, it is offered to Tribal, State, local and voluntary agency partners that may adopt the External Affairs/ESF 15 concept when responding to disasters or incidents of significance.

Updates: Revisions to the National Response Plan are in final review and a new National Response Framework is expected shortly. This will also include a few changes to the ESF 15 annex the most significant being the transition of the International Affairs component to the US Department of State. Once the new National Response Framework is officially launched, this online course will be updated to reflect the most current information.

Enrolling and Taking the Course The IS250 course is available through the EMI Independent Study website located at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWEB/IS/IS250.asp. When you have completed the course, you can take the online test, fill out the student information and submit the test for scoring. FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute’s (EMI) Independent Study Office will notify you via email of your successful completion of the course and a link will be included in the email for you to access and print your course certificate.

Questions: For questions, please contact Chris Yambor at: FEMA-ESF15emi-class@fema.gov.