The Emergency Management Institute at 70;From Civil Defense to Emergency Management in an Education and Training Institution.

This report traces the 70-year history of the Emergency Management Institute (EMI) from the founding of its predecessor in 1951 to the present. The story of these institutions’ development can inform current strategy about EMI’s future. EMI trains primarily state, local, tribal, and territorial officials in emergency management (EM). It also trains some federal officials and leaders in the nonprofit and private sectors and provides course materials for higher education.

Emergency managers have been asked to respond to a growing number of hazards and disasters, including nontraditional missions, such as managing pandemic response and addressing homelessness. EMI will need to adapt to increasing EM responsibilities in an expanded all-hazards era by building new partnerships and training professionals in disaster management skills applicable to a wide variety of events. EMI also has an opportunity to grow from a technically focused institution into a thought leader and educator of the next generation of EM leaders.

Be sure to read the Key Findings and Recommendations.