FEMA Course Manual: Effective Communication for First Responders

This is an up-to-date independent study course training manual produced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on effective communication in emergency management (IS-242). The course goal is stated as follows:

“Being able to communicate effectively is a necessary and vital part of every emergency manager, planner, and responder’s job. This course is designed to improve your communication skills. It addresses: Basic communication skills; How to communicate in an emergency; How to identify community-specific communication issues; Using technology as a communication tool; Effective oral communication; How to prepare an oral presentation.”

Contents include: Communicating Effectively – Activity: If I Could Do It Over Again; Various Groups Respond Differently; Activity: Personal Learning Goals; Unit 2: Basic Communication Skills; Communication Models; Communication Is a Two-Way Process; How Do You Listen? Activity: Listening Self-Assessment; Active Listening; Practice Active Listening; Roadblocks to Effective Listening; Communication Variables; Activity: Communication Habits; Knowledge Check; Unit 3: Communicating in an Emergency; Introduction; Emergency vs. Day-to-Day Communication; Types of Communication; Job Aid 3-1: Templates for Written Communication.

Unit 4: Identifying Community-Specific Communication Issues; Introduction; Why Transitional Messages Don’t Always WorkCase Study: What’s Going On Here? Activity: Analyzing Community-Specific Needs; How To Recognize When a Message Isn’t Being Communicated; Case Study: What Did I Do Wrong? What Can I Do To Improve Communication?

Unit 5: Using Technology as a Communication Tool; Technology as a Tool; Combining High-Tech and Low-Tech Tools; Case Studies in Choosing and Combining Communication Technologies.

Unit 6: Effective Oral Communication; Matching Communication to Message and Audience; Oral Communication with Mass Media; Success Tips for Media Interviews; Nonverbal Cues; Case Study: Mixed Signals; Activity: Nonverbal Behaviors; Cross-Cultural Meanings of Nonverbals Humor; Effects of Failed Humor; Speech Anxiety; Job Aid 6-1: Tips to Reduce Fear of Public Speaking.

This is the complete course manual made available by FEMA as part of the Emergency Management Institute Independent Study program, described this way by FEMA:

FEMA’s Independent Study Program is one of the delivery channels that the Emergency Management Institute (EMI) uses to provide training to the general public and specific audiences. Within the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, United States Fire Administration, operates the Emergency Management Institute (EMI). EMI produces independent study courses to train the general public as well as specific target audiences. The EMI Independent Study program consists of self-paced courses designed for people who have emergency management responsibilities and the general public. . .and college credit can be obtained through a for-fee service. Each Independent Study Course includes lessons with practice exercises and a final examination. Students who score 75 percent or better are issued a certificate of achievement from EMI. Course completion times vary from two to fourteen hours, depending on the course and the student’s background.