Training & Exercise
The Montana Disaster & Emergency Services (MT DES) Training Program ensures opportunities are available to enhance disaster preparedness. Professional development and disaster simulations allow the emergency management community to understand how non-profit, public, and private response partners work together in disasters.
To learn more about the DES Training Program, review the Training Guide below:
To view upcoming training opportunities, visit our training/events map:
Based on availability of funding, availability and qualified instructors, MT DES may be able to support emergency management training at the local level. Please use the form below if you would like to request a training or support for a training.
State Instructors
Several emergency management courses are conducted by state emergency management agencies, such as MT DES, by state approved instructors. MT DES has outlined an application process for individuals interested in becoming state instructors and delivering courses throughout the state. More information can be found in the Training Program Guide linked above.
Training Offered in Other States
Colorado: https://dhsem.colorado.gov/training-exercise/training-exercise-calendar
North Dakota: https://www.des.nd.gov/events
South Dakota: https://sdoem.eventsmart.com/
Utah: https://dem.utah.gov/training-and-exercise/training/#calendar
Wyoming: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=42fd398fa8f449fb930f2d3755c5a1bb
Other Emergency Management Training
Most FEMA related trainings require a Student ID Numer (SID). If you need to get FEMA SID, you may register for one through FEMA's SID registration page. If you have a SID, but have forgotten it, you may find it by using FEMA's SID retrieval page.
Emergency Management Institute (EMI)
EMI is the emergency management community’s flagship training institution, and provides training to Federal, State, local, tribal, volunteer, public, and private sector officials to strengthen emergency management core competencies for professional, career-long training.
https://training.fema.gov/emicourses/schedules.aspx
Center for Domestic Preparedness
Expertise: Prevention, deterrence and response to CBRNE hazards and healthcare/public health mass casualty
https://cdp.dhs.gov/
National Center for Biomedical Research and Training at Louisiana State University
Expertise: Biological, law enforcement, and agroterrorism response
http://www.ncbrt.lsu.edu/
National Nuclear Security Administration/CTOS-Center for Radiological/Nuclear Training at the Nevada National Security Site
Expertise: Prevention and response to radiological/nuclear attacks
http://www.ctosnnsa.org/
The Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center at New Mexico Tech
Expertise: Explosive and incendiary attacks
http://www.emrtc.nmt.edu/training/
Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center
Expertise: Cybersecurity, crisis communications, executive and elected official’s education, hazardous materials awareness and operations, health and medical services, incident management, infrastructure protection, search and rescue, threat and risk assessment, and training gap analyses.
http://www.teex.org/nerrtc/
National Disaster Preparedness Training Center at University of Hawaii
Expertise: Natural disasters, coastal communities, islands & territories & underserved at-risk populations
https://ndptc.hawaii.edu/
Transportation Technology Center, Inc., Security and Emergency Response Training Center
Expertise: Prevention, deterrence response and recover to explosive related events
http://sertc.org/
The Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium
Expertise: Led by The Center for Rural Development, the Consortium is comprised of academic partners that possess extensive experience and niche capabilities in developing and delivering homeland security curriculum to the rural emergency response community
https://www.ruraltraining.org/
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES
The Professional Development Series includes seven Emergency Management Institute independent study courses that provide a well-rounded set of fundamentals for those in the emergency management profession. Many students build on this foundation to develop their careers.
After successfully completing all 7 required PDS courses through the Independent Study program, a PDS certificate is automatically issued via email to the email address provided on your last exam submission.
Click Here to be taken to FEMA's Professional Development Series Courses
ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL SERIES
The ability to perform essential work in a disaster requires skills in emergency operations and management. These skills may be developed through this series of courses that offers “how to” training focused on practical information. This series emphasizes applied skills in disaster operations, management and coordination.
The original Advanced Professional Series (APS) course lineup was first established on November 27, 2001, to motivate and challenge students to continue emergency management training. Courses include practical skills from the whole spectrum of emergency management and disaster duties.
Click Here to Navigate to FEMA's Advanced Professional Series Courses
Betsy Ross - betsy.ross@mt.gov
Course Materials
ICS 300 Student Manual
ICS 400 Student Manual
L0146 HSEEP Student Manual
L0102 Science of Disaster Student Manual
New DES Coordinator Training 2024 Materials
Day 1
Powerpoint Slides (Overview, planning, training, exercise)
Emergency Manager Task Assessment
Day 2
Powerpoint Slides (Response and Recovery)
Day 3
Preparedness Grants Program Slides
EMPG Sub-Recipient AmpliFund Step by Step Guide
When FEMA updated the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) in 2020, the Training and Exercise Plan (TEP) was transitioned to the Integrated Preparedness Plan (IPP) to better incorporate risk assessments, planning efforts and other preparedness activities into exercise planning and a jurisdiction’s overall preparedness program. The IPP should combine efforts across the areas of planning, organizing/equipping, training, exercising, and evaluating/improving. Find more information about the IPP and the HSEEP update at: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/national-preparedness/exercises/hseep
The multi-year IPP is a roadmap for jurisdictions to build and test local capabilities. The IPP should include overall program priorities, training goals and a schedule of exercises. An IPP template has been provided below, along with an example. You are not required to use this template- it is provided only as a resource. FEMA also has an example IPP that can be viewed by clicking here. The IPP may be used to support or augment an EMPG work plan
Integrated Preparedness Plan Template
Integrated Preparedness Plan Example
Montana's most recent Integrated Preparedness Plan can be viewed at the link below. The IPP outlines the overall priority areas for preparedness activities in the next 1-2 years. The multi-year calendar is a draft and is subject to change depending on availability and scheduling conflicts.
The Montana Disaster & Emergency Services Exercise Program is consistent with the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP). Exercises are a key component of national preparedness — they provide the whole community with the opportunity to shape planning, assess and validate capabilities, and address areas for improvement. HSEEP provides a set of guiding principles for exercise and evaluation programs, as well as a common approach to exercise program management, design and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning.
Nationally, HSEEP was updated in 2020. An overview can be found here.
After-Action Review
Exercises afford organizations the opportunity to evaluate capabilities and assess progress toward meeting capability targets in a controlled, low-risk setting. An effective corrective action program develops improvement plans that are dynamic documents, with corrective actions continually monitored and implemented as part of improving preparedness.
The following after-action review (AAR) templates are available for use. FEMA has additional resources that can be found here.
