Registration opens for 2024 Tribal Nations Training Week

Registration is now open for the 9th Annual Tribal Nations Training Week at FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) March 9-16, 2024.

The weeklong training event, with the theme “Developing Generational Resiliency Through Training,” is open to all personnel who work in an emergency response capacity and are affiliated with one or more tribal nations or the Indian Health Service, and those who work directly with tribal nations.

Courses being offered during the week include:

Healthcare Leadership for Mass Casualty Incidents (HCL), a four-day course that addresses disaster preparedness at the facility and system level. HCL teaches responders essential disaster-planning, response and recovery functions through lecture and discussion formats that are then applied in a tabletop exercise and functional exercises. It concludes with an Integrated Capstone Event, which is a comprehensive exercise at the end of a training week where students from multiple courses and disciplines work together to respond to simulated incidents patterned after real-world events.

Hospital Emergency Response Training for Mass Casualty Incidents (HERT), which will be taught along with Underserved Populations Preparedness Planning for Rural Responders and Volunteers, an 8-hour, planning and management-level course. HERT is a three-day course which prepares healthcare responders to determine and use appropriate personal protective equipment and conduct triage and decontamination of ambulatory and non-ambulatory patients as members of a Hospital Emergency Response Team. An Integrated Capstone Event is also built into the HERT course.

Environmental Health Training in Emergency Response – Operations, a five-day course which provides participants with the operations-level knowledge and skills needed to respond to incidents of natural- or human-caused disaster and to use appropriate protocols and equipment.

Integrated Emergency Management Course (IEMC), with Crisis Leadership (MGT-340) and Crisis Standards of Care and Treatment Decision-Making (AWR-934-V1). IEMC is a four-day, exercise-based training activity for Emergency Operations Center personnel to practice simulated, but realistic, crisis situations, within a structured learning environment. MGT-340 is a seminar where participants will discuss strategic- and executive-level issues related to preparing for, responding to, and recovering from a catastrophic incident. AWR-934-V1 defines and explores the potential causes resulting in crisis standards of care; discusses potential situations resulting in prioritization of care; and explores legal, moral, and ethical considerations and mechanisms for making care decisions based on limited resources or capabilities.

Emergency Management Framework for Tribal Governments (L580) with Natural Disaster Awareness for Community Leaders (AWR-310) and Psychological Preparedness for Responders (AWR-933-V7). L580 is designed to provide tribal emergency management/response personnel, tribal government employees, and tribal leaders with a basic understanding of emergency management principles and their role in leading and directing their tribes in developing and implementing comprehensive emergency management systems. AWR-310 teaches community leaders to enhance their community’s ability to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against all forms of disasters. AWR-933-V7 reviews common examples of situations encountered by emergency responders with a tendency to cause stress and/or stress-induced psychological trauma. The audience will gain knowledge of stress disorder causes, signs and symptoms of stress-induced psychological trauma, and multiple coping methods for stress and stress disorders.

Community Based Response to All-Hazards Threats in Tribal Communities (MGT-449) with Emergency Operations Plans for Rural Jurisdictions (MGT-383), Testing an Emergency Operations Plan in a Rural EOC (PER-294), Natural Disaster Awareness for Community Leaders (AWR-310), Special Needs Population Considerations During Emergency Response (HC-V3), Autism Awareness For Emergency Services (OLS-V19), Emergency Management and the Public Information Officer (MGT-902-V2), and Communicating Effectively in an Emergency (MGT-902-V7). This series of courses will provide tribal responders with the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to effectively detect, respond to, manage and mitigate all-hazard threats using a whole community approach. It includes information on the National Incident Management System (NIMS); the Incident Command System (ICS); the requirements of Public Information Officers (PIOs); developing an emergency operations plan; assessing community risks; and the requirements, capabilities, and considerations necessary to ensure special needs populations.

Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment and Stakeholder Preparedness (THIRA) with Emergency Operations Center Operations and Planning for All-Hazards Events (MGT-346), Incident Command System (ICS), Forms Review (MGT-347), and Command Post Operations (AWR-933-V23). THIRA introduces the six-step THIRA/SPR process. MGT-346 provides personnel who could be assigned to or work in an Emergency Operations Center the skills necessary to effectively plan for and manage a large-scale incident. MGT-347 will prepare you to work with the ICS Forms used in the Incident Command Planning process to assist in the development of an Incident Action Plan. AWR-933-V23 discusses how a command post works and the basic tools needed to maintain and properly run a command post.

The week will also feature an executive session for tribal leaders or their designated representatives. The executive session is comprised of a Tribal Leaders Symposium, followed by Continuity of Government Operations Planning for Rural Communities, NIMS Overview for Senior Officials, a closed listening session with FEMA Headquarters and the Department of Homeland Security’s Tribal Advisory Council, a workshop discussion on the disaster declaration process and its requirements, and a Senior Officials Workshop for All-Hazards Preparedness.

CDP training is fully funded for state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency responders, to include roundtrip airfare, meals, and lodging. To register for the 2024 Tribal Nations Training Week, email David.Hall@fema.dhs.gov.