Emergency and Disaster Professional CEDP Full Course Free

In the development of aHazard Mitigation Plan (HMP), the "locus" or central focus must always be on long-term risk reduction and life safety, rather thanshort-range and political goals. According to theDisaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000)and FEMA'sLocal Mitigation Planning Handbook, effective planning requires looking beyond the immediate political cycle or temporary local interests.

If a mitigation plan is driven by political goals (Option C), it may prioritize "visible" but less effective projects over technically sound infrastructure improvements. For example, a local politician might push for a new park in a floodplain because it is popular, rather than funding a less visible but more critical drainage system upgrade. This compromises the community’s resilience by ignoring the scientific data provided during theHazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA)process.

Options A and B are, conversely, essential parts of a legitimate planning process. Assessing local threats (Option A) is the scientific foundation of the plan, and evaluating budget capacity (Option B) ensures that the plan is realistic and implementable. A plan that cannot be funded is merely a "wish list." However, theCEDPprofessional is taught that mitigation is a long-term investment. Political goals are inherently transient, whereas the hazards—such as seismic activity or climate-driven flooding—are persistent and require sustained, non-partisan commitment. Aligning mitigation with long-term land-use planning and building codes, rather than short-term political wins, ensures that federal grant eligibility is maintained and that the community is genuinely safer for future generations.

One of the most critical rules in theIncident Command System (ICS)is that personnel must be assigned to duties based on theirdemonstrated competence and training, rather than their day-to-day administrative job titles. Therefore, leaders shouldmake duty assignments only to trained individualswho have met the specific NIMS/ICS qualification requirements for that position.

Basing assignments on personal job titles (Option B) is a common mistake that leads to "Command Failure." For example, a hospital CEO might be an expert at finance and administration, but they may have no training in the "Incident Commander" role. In a disaster, it might be more appropriate for a trained Security Director or a Lead Physician with ICS 300/400 certification to take the command role. Option A (Pre-planning) is helpful for identifyingpotentialcandidates, but in a real-world disaster, the specific people available may change, and the leader must verify that whoever is assigned at that moment is currently qualified and capable.

According to theIBFCSM CEDPstandards, "Position Qualification" ensures that everyone in the response structure speaks the same language and understands the specific responsibilities of their role. If an untrained person is placed in a "Logistics Section Chief" position, they may not know the proper protocols for resource ordering and tracking, which can bottleneck the entire response. By mandating that assignments are tied to training and capability, the ICS structure remains professional, effective, and safe. This "professionalization" of disaster response is a core tenet of NIMS, ensuring that every person in the "box" on the organizational chart is there because they have the specific skills required to perform that function under pressure.

In a standard Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), theHazard-Specific Annexesprovide the detailed, actionable information regarding response and recovery activities tailored to a particular type of threat. While the Basic Plan provides the general framework for all-hazards, the annexes focus on the unique operational requirements of specific disasters, such as a hurricane, a hazardous material spill, or a biological outbreak.

Situational assumptions (Option B) are found in the Basic Plan and describe the "what if" scenarios that the planners believe to be true. Communication documents (Option C) refer to the actual forms and logs used during the event, but they do not contain the strategic or tactical information found in an annex. Hazard-specific annexes describe the unique triggers for action, the specialized resources required, and the specific recovery milestones for that hazard. For example, a "Tornado Annex" would specify the immediate search and rescue protocols, whereas a "Pandemic Annex" would focus on vaccination clinics and quarantine procedures.

According to FEMA’s CPG 101, the use of annexes allows the EOP to remain organized and scalable. It prevents the Basic Plan from becoming too cluttered with technical details that only apply to one type of incident. For a CEDP professional, these annexes are the "playbooks" for the organization. They ensure that when a specific threat is recognized, the Incident Command has a ready-made set of response and recovery steps that have already been vetted and coordinated with subject matter experts.

TheMedical Surge Capacity and Capability (MSCC) Management Systemutilizes a six-tier framework to describe the coordination of public health and medical responses. In this hierarchy,Tier 6representsFederal Support to State, Tribal, and Jurisdiction Management. It is the highest level of the surge system, activated when the resources of the local, regional, and state levels are exhausted and a federal disaster or public health emergency has been declared.

The MSCC Tiers are organized as follows:

Tier 1:Individual Healthcare Organization (HCO)

Tier 2:Healthcare Coalition (HCC)

Tier 3:Jurisdiction (Local government)

Tier 4:State (State government)

Tier 5:Interstate (Interstate coordination, e.g., via EMAC)

Tier 6:Federal (Federal public health and medical assets)

At Tier 6, the federal government provides assets through theNational Response Framework (NRF), specificallyEmergency Support Function #8 (ESF #8 - Public Health and Medical Services). This includes resources like theNational Disaster Medical System (NDMS), theStrategic National Stockpile (SNS), and theUSNS Comfort/Mercyhospital ships. The role of Tier 6 is to "support, not supplant," the state and local efforts.

For theCEDPprofessional, understanding the Tier 6 trigger is vital forResource Management. Tier 6 assistance is typically requested by the Governor of an affected state and coordinated through theJoint Field Office (JFO). By the time a response reaches Tier 6, it is a catastrophic event requiring the full weight of the national medical infrastructure. Knowing the protocols for integrating these federal teams—such as providing "Credentialing" and "On-boarding" for DMAT teams—is a key competency for ensuring that federal help translates into immediate life-saving capability on the ground.