Disaster & WMD Preparedness
This page is designed to provide members of the EMS community with a place to turn with questions regarding the pressing issues of disaster preparedness and preparing for a possible Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) incident.
The links below are provided to give you a resource that is available from the nation's foremost authorities on these topics. These links offer every EMS provider an opportunity to obtain insight, resources and education designed to better prepare you for events that may take place in your community.
Please use this site as part of your commitment to your community and the preparedness of your agency in the event of an incident.
Incident Command System (ICS) and NIMS Training
The Bureau of EMS (BEMS) continues to encourage EMS agencies and providers to complete appropriate level of ICS and NIMS training. BEMS, assisted in the development of the NYS guidance that identifies the typical positions/roles within an EMS agency and the level of ICS and NIMS training that would likely be appropriate. Your EMS Agency management and local policies may require you to have training beyond the minimum levels identified here.
The guidance for the minimum training considered appropriate for EMS providers is contained in the NIMS Training Guidance document issued by the New York State Office of Counter Terrorism.
Several of the ICS and NIMS courses are available on-line through the FEMA Independent Study website and upon successful completion, provide a certificate of completion.
- NIMS Course - IS-700a (NIMS An Introduction)
- NIMS Course - IS-800b (National Response Framework, An Introduction)
- ICS 100 Course (Introduction to Incident Command System)
- ICS 200 Course (ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents)
For those EMS positions/roles requiring more advanced ICS training, there are additional classroom training opportunities that are offered.
- ICS 300 Course - Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents
- ICS 400 Course - Advanced ICS for Major and/or Complex Incidents
For a schedule of ICS 300 and ICS 400 courses offered throughout New York State, please see the following websites:
- New York State Office of Emergency Management (SOEM) Training Calendar
- New York State Office of Counter Terrorism Training Calendar
Follow the appropriate links for additional course information and registration procedures.
Additional Resources
- Training Program Outline for EMT-B Personnel to Administer Atropine by Auto-Injector in Life-Threatening Situations
- Chemical Terrorism Preparedness and Response Card
- Bioterrorism Rapid Response Card - (PDF, 429KB, 1pg. )
- Radiological Terrorism Rapid Response Card
- Potasium Iodide Information
- Smallpox Information
- Policy Statement 03-05 Mark I Kits - (PDF, 306KB, 10pg. )
NOTE: The following links and sites are not maintained or updated by the NYS DOH. This information is provided as a service to the members of the EMS community and inclusion does not represent an official endorsement of the site on the part of the Bureau of EMS or the NYS Department of Health.
- New York State Office of Counter Terrorism
- New York State Office of Emergency Management (SOEM)
- New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control
- New York State Police
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH)
- U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency
- U.S. Fire Administration
- Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) FEMA
- U.S. Dept. of Transportation Office of Hazardous Materials Safety
- U.S. Department of Energy
- Guidance for Radiation Accident Management
- Domestic Preparedness Campus, US. Dept. of Justice/Texas A &M University
- NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards
- US DOT Emergency Response Guidebook