Steps for Getting Qualified in Emergency Services

Congratulations and thank you for joining the US HERO team in helping others. Working in Emergency Services (ES) is a tough, but rewarding endeavor. You probably already know what ES specialty or specialties you want to focus on. This might be in Wilderness SAR, Dive SAR, Disaster Relief, etc. Regardless of the specialties that you will be working in, you must complete the "General Emergency Services" (GES) requirements before being qualified to be a certified Rescue Technician.

• Become familiar with our training and certification standards. You can view them here. Download and print the GES Specialty Card to record your progress.
• Complete the FEMA Introductory Course listed. These can be done either (1) Online at the FEMA EMI Site or (2) Can be conducted at your unit in a group setting. These course are:
1. FEMA IS-100 Introduction to Incident Command System
2. FEMA IS-7 A Citizen's Guide to Disaster Assistance
3. FEMA IS-288 The Role of Voluntary Agencies in Emergency Management
4. NOTE: When you have passed the FEMA courses, they will email your "Certificate" to you. You need to make a copy and give to your Unit Captain to put in your personnel folder and keep the original.
• Complete "Introduction to Technical Rescue - Awareness Class"
• Illinois Fire Institute - Online OR
• State of Washington Homeland Security Institute Online
• Complete Basic First Aid Training or Equivalent. We recognize first aid training from Red Cross, American Heart Assoc., Fire/EMS, etc., as long as it meets "generally accepted standards" and is documented.
• Complete Basic Communications Training. Normally completed at your unit.