WSEMA Member Will Lugo is a certified ICS Instructor with hundreds of hours or instruction under his belt. On this page he details the process and requirements to become an ICS instructor in Washington State.
Do you have a passion for teaching? In the Emergency Management profession, there are opportunities to continue your teaching journey. Becoming a NIMS ICS Instructor allows you to guide Emergency Management training for others, both within your discipline and across other related fields.
The goal of the Washington State Instructor Program is to ensure the quality delivery of preparedness training by building and maintaining standards and expectations for instructors within the state. The program is designed to recruit and maintain qualified individuals to become certified to instruct G field delivery and ICS courses in Washington. G courses are part of the FEMA Emergency Management Institute’s curriculum.
Instructor Types
- Field Course Certified Instructor:
A Washington State Field Course Certified Instructor is an individual who has been vetted and screened by the Washington State Training Officer to deliver specific G courses. The vetting process involves a review of the instructor’s knowledge and experience in the subject matter, their instructional skills, classroom management abilities, and adherence to adult learning theories. - Certified ICS Instructor:
A Washington State Certified ICS Instructor is an individual who has been vetted and screened by the Washington State Training Officer to deliver NIMS ICS courses. This process includes a review of the instructor’s completed training, relevant experience, and sponsorship from a county emergency management agency, state agency, or other recognized organization. Additionally, a review of the organizational audit is conducted to ensure qualifications are met. - Lead Instructor:
Lead Instructors are the primary instructors responsible for delivering a specific course. They must meet all instructor qualifications and possess significant experience in delivering all units of the course. There must always be at least one Lead Instructor for every course delivered in Washington State. Lead Instructors have additional responsibilities, including:- Maintaining the course standards, including the length of the course
- Conducting any course activities or exercises
- Managing all other instructors involved
- Ensuring the integrity of the course curriculum is maintained
- Proctoring exams
- Managing student accountability
- Ensuring all safety protocols are followed
- Support Instructor:
Support Instructors assist Lead Instructors with the delivery of the course. They may or may not have met all the instructor qualifications but must have experience with the course content. Often, Support Instructors are either gaining “on-the-job” training or supporting the course to meet the established qualifications to eventually become a Lead Instructor. Support Instructors may assist with various course management activities and may deliver parts of the course under the supervision of a Lead Instructor. - Adjunct or Unit Instructor:
Adjunct or Unit Instructors are experts in specific subject areas who assist with the delivery of particular units within a course. They are not permanent training officials and may not be on the state-certified instructor list. Typically, Adjunct or Unit Instructors are selected based on their subject matter expertise and may not have completed a formal “Train-the-Trainer” course for the course they are assisting with. For example, a representative from the National Weather Service might be selected to teach specific weather-related units in a course.- These instructors work under the supervision of a Lead Instructor and may provide limited instruction in specialized topics.
- They must be experienced, proficient, and up-to-date on current issues within their field of expertise.
NIMS ICS Instructor Qualification Requirements
Washington State EMD certifies instructors based on three requirements: completed training, instructor experience, and sponsorship from a county, tribal, or state agency.
Training Requirements
Washington State-certified ICS instructors will have successfully completed the following courses:
- The course they will be instructing
- IS-100 Introduction to ICS
- IS-200 ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
- IS-700 Introduction to NIMS
- IS-800.b Introduction to the National Response Framework
- L0449 ICS Curriculum Train-the-Trainer
- G300 Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents
- G400 Advanced ICS for Command and General Staff – Complex Incidents
- G191 Emergency Operations Center/ICS Interface
Instructor Experience
Instructors should have experience related to the course they wish to teach. This can include operational experience and/or planning efforts.
- 16 hours of instructor experience within the past 12 months
- Experience delivering training to adult learners
- Proficiency in small group facilitation and excellent communication skills
Emergency Management Agency Sponsorship
A letter of sponsorship from the local Department of Emergency Management is required. This letter should describe the jurisdiction’s need for the individual as a certified ICS instructor and endorse their qualifications.
For more details, you can also visit FEMA Instructor Training.
If you have any questions about becoming an ICS Instructor, feel free to reach out to Will at wlugo@pugetsoundfire.org or on LinkedIn.
