When disasters and emergencies strike, many different organizations must work together to protect property and save lives. Ensuring and enhancing this interoperability is the goal for FEMA's Emergency Management Institute (EMI). A component of the United State Fire Administration, EMI is located on the National Emergency Training Center (NETC) campus in Emmitsburg, Maryland, 75 miles north of Washington, D.C.

EMI is the national focal point for the development and delivery of emergency management training to enhance the capabilities of Federal, State, local, and tribal government personnel as well as volunteers and members of the private sector. EMI courses are structured to meet the needs of these diverse audiences with an emphasis on how the various elements work together.

EMI staff provide training to enhance U.S. emergency management performance through a nationwide program of resident, field, and distance learning activities. 8,000 students attend resident courses at EMI each year while thousands of others participate in field training sponsored by EMI and conducted by State emergency management agencies. Hundreds of thousands more use EMI web-satellite television-, and text-based distance learning programs.

EMI instruction focuses on the four phases of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery, and covers areas such as natural hazards (earthquakes, hurricanes, floods), man-made hazards (terrorism, hazardous materials, radiological emergency preparedness), and also includes professional development, leadership, instructional methodology, exercise design, and public information. All EMI training is developed in partnership with State and local emergency management agencies.
Being ready to deal with all types disasters and emergencies is more critical now than ever before. The staff and faculty of EMI are proud to be part of this effort and committed to the FEMA goal of “A Nation Prepared.”