A new self-study course, IS-197.EM Special Needs Planning Considerations for Emergency Management, is now available from Emergency Management Institute's Independent Study Program at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS197EM.asp .

This course is designed for emergency management and first responder personnel to enable them to better understand the special needs population and teach how to partner with persons with special needs as well as their support providers and organizations.

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

1. To better understand the impact of different types of hazards on the special needs population.
2. To be made aware of the challenges faced by emergency managers during the different phases of the disaster.
3. To learn how to develop emergency plans for the special needs populations and plan with special needs persons and their organizations during the planning process for your local community.

Primary Audience: Emergency managers, emergency response personnel, and members of organizations dealing with the special needs populations.

Prerequisites: None.

CEUs: 0.4

Course Length: 4 ½ hours