U.S. Fire Administration

National Fire Academy

Emergency Medical Services and 

Health and Safety Training Programs

FA-322 / April 2010
On Campus Course Deliveries

Management of Emergency Medical Services 

(R150)

This course focuses on supervisory management practices as they relate to emergency medical services (EMS) 

in the participant’s agency or jurisdiction. This interactive and fast-moving course will enable participants to 

deal more effectively with day-to-day management 

issues that supervisory-level managers are likely to 

encounter. Personnel, resource management, and 

quality improvement techniques are some of the major 

components of this course. Upon completion of this 

course, the students will be able to enhance the quality 

and overall effectiveness of their EMS operation through 

the use of management techniques.

STudenT SelecTion criTeria:

Individuals with management responsibility for part of 

an EMS delivery system, e.g., a fire department, a 

hospital, or a public EMS agency. Individuals with 

decisionmaking responsibility within an EMS system, 

e.g., EMS program management/coordination, field 

supervision, training supervision, medical control, etc. 

Emergency Medical Services: Special Operations 

(R152)

The purpose of this 10-day course is to enable EMS 

System Managers to prepare their organizations for 

major operations by identifying potential hazards, 

determining potential resource needs, determining how 

those resources may be acquired, and developing a plan 

that enables the effective control of these events. 

Events such as mass-casualty incidents, storms, earthquakes, or technological emergencies, mass gatherings, 

dignitary visits, and terrorism can place an unusual 

demand on our ability to provide continued EMS 

response to our anticipated daily call volume. It is only 

through effective planning and preparation for these 

unique events that we can continue to respond effectively to our customers. This program discusses many 

of these special operations and the burdens they place 

upon our communities, EMS systems, and the responders within our systems. This course meets National 

Incident Management System (NIMS) requirements for 

Incident Command System (ICS) 300. 

STudenT SelecTion criTeria:

This course is for those who have management and 

planning responsibilities for an EMS system. The course 

is targeted primarily to middle managers at an operational level and to senior planners within the agency. 

Advanced Safety Operations 

and Management (R154)

This 6-day course focuses on applying the risk management model to health and safety aspects of emergency 

services operations, including program management 

day-to-day operations, and incident safety. Content 

areas include firefighters and emergency services fatality 

and injury problems; the risk management process; 

safety responsibilities of department members; regulations, standards, and policies affecting emergency 

services safety; and appropriate documentation and 

recordkeeping pertaining to firefighter and emergency 

services health and safety.

STudenT SelecTion criTeria:

Company-level officers, chief officers, and civilian 

managers who have department-level health and safety 

responsibilities (such as program planning and implementation), who may serve as an Incident Safety Officer 

(ISO).

Emergency Medical Services: Quality 

Management (R158)

The EMS:QM course will provide the critical components, background, and principles associated with the 

implementation or enhancement of a department’s 

Quality Management Program. The course teaches 

students how to create, implement, and maintain a 

Quality Management Program, including historical 

examples, current models, and best practices of quality 

assurance and improvement, process improvement, and 

data collection and analysis.

Throughout the course, students work on culminating 

activities relating to the development of a Quality 

Management Program. Students present the culminating activity with classmates and instructors at the end of 
the course, allowing all students to take examples of 

Quality Management Programs to their departments.

Student Selection Criteria:

Individuals who have department-level Quality Management (Quality Assurance, Quality Improvement) management, oversight or supervisory responsibilities.

New for 2011

Advanced Leadership Issues in EMS –

revised (R159)

This 6-day course is designed for upper-management 

personnel to address critical system management 

issues in the continually evolving aspects of EMS 

system delivery. With a focus on problem-solving and 

decisionmaking, topics covered include financial 

management, external influences, personnel management, and system management. A project addressing 

one of these issues, based on a local agency or 

community need, will be started with the precourse 

materials and completed in class; this project can 

then be used by the manager to facilitate change in 

the agency.

Hot Topics in Emergency Medical Services

Discover what’s new in EMS. Explore current events, 

products, and trends that apply to your department. 

Using modern research tools and student-centric 

learning, attendees will learn how to evaluate technological and human behavior topics that exist in EMS, 

the wide variety of research resources available, and 

how to collect and present that information in a 

meaningful way that can effect change to system 

performance, quality of patient care, or injury/illness 

prevention. This course includes individualized research, writing, and presentation elements based on a 

locally identified issue or need.

Emergency Medical Services 

Incident Operations

In this 6-day course, EMS officers/supervisors are

introduced to ICS and they study proper incident 

command techniques for management of medium- to 

large-sized incidents involving multiple sick or injured 

patients. Topics covered include problem-solving and 

EMS functions within incident command, resource 

management, interagency and mutual aid, sizeup and 

strategy, tactics and action plans, EMS company 

operations, preincident preparation, incident organization, and strategic command. 
Off Campus Course Deliveries

Contact your State’s fire training office for schedules, 

application procedures, and more information about 

National Fire Academy (NFA) Off-Campus delivered 

courses.

Incident Safety Officer (F729)

This 2-day course examines the Safety Officer’s role at 

emergency responses. A specific focus on operations 

within an Incident Command System (ICS) as a Safety 

Officer is a main theme. Response to all-hazards types 

of situations will be emphasized.

TargeT audience:

Individuals who have a Safety Officer responsibility 

at emergency operation situations. Persons attending 

this course should have a working knowledge of the ICS, 

as taught by NFA, building construction principles, 

hazardous materials management, applicable National 

Fire Protection Association (NFPA) guidelines, and 

Federal regulations. 

Health and Safety Officer (F730)

This 2-day course examines the Health and Safety 

Officer’s role in identifying, evaluating, and implementing policy and procedures that affect health and safety 

aspects for emergency responders. Risk analysis, wellness, and other occupational safety issues will be the 

main emphasis of this course. 

TargeT audience:

Individuals who have department-level health and safety 

responsibilities. Persons attending this course should 

have a working knowledge of the ICS, as taught by NFA, 

applicable NFPA and Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA) requirements and recommendations, and responsibility for setting policy for the 

department on such issues.

Emergency Medical Services Functions in ICS

Students will practice use of the ICS in coordination 

with other public safety responders. As a followup to 

ICS-100 and ICS-200 training, this course will present 

scenarios requiring responders to structure their EMS 

resources within the guidance of the NIMS ICS, as 

appropriate, to the needs of the different incident types. 

Through simulation and role-playing, students will 

demonstrate the implementation of EMS components to 

the ICS at medium- or large-sized incidents.

TargeT audience:

Emergency response personnel with responsibilities to 

implement the initial EMS functions to the ICS at 

medium- or large-sized incidents.

New for 2011

Department Wellness Coordinator

This 2-day course will provide the outline and resources 

for a fire/EMS department to implement and maintain a 

wellness program, in coordination with the department’s 

health and safety program. Using current recommendations, standards, and guidance from national resources, 

the Department Wellness Coordinator will be able to 

assess the mental and physical health needs of their 

department’s personnel and develop program objectives 

to meet those needs. Topics include health and wellness 

screenings, nutrition, physical fitness, emotional/mental 

health, and resources available.

Emergency Medical Services Management 

and Administration for Supervisors/ 

Company Officers

This 2-day blended online/classroom course will 

introduce new EMS managers to the roles, responsibilities, and skills required to deal more effectively with 

day-to-day management issues. Personnel management, 

leadership/management, communications, change 

facilitation, and public relations are some of the components of this course.

Application Procedures

NFA course descriptions, application period dates, 

and the General Admission Application (Form 75-5) 

for resident courses can be obtained online at 

www.usfa.fema.gov/nfa

Application Periods

For first semester (October – March): 

April 15 – June 15

For second semester (April – September):

October 15 – December 15

Mandatory Prerequisite for Courses

In order to align NFA programs with Department of 

Homeland Security (DHS) directives, we require that all 

NFA resident students complete ICS 100 level and ICS 

200 level training before they arrive at the National 

Emergency Training Center. While we prefer that students 

complete the Q-462 and Q-463 courses available through 

NFA, we will accept other NIMS-compliant equivalent 

training as provided by State and Federal agencies. The 

Fire Chief’s signature attests that the applicant has 

completed this required prerequisite training.

U.S. Fire Administration • National Fire Academy

16825 South Seton Avenue • Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727

www.usfa.fema.gov/nfa