ERI provides technical assistance, planning and training to educational institutions, emergency response organizations, business and industry, and local, state, federal, and foreign government agencies.

Founded in 1978, ERI has published extensively in the disaster planning, emergency management, search and rescue and survival education fields. The company has played a major role in the development and dissemination of new and innovative planning and training programs through out the USA and European communities on all phases of community and industrial emergency management disaster response planning, search and rescue, and survival education.

Since 1978, ERI International, Inc. (ERI):

• Has assisted state and local governments with designing and implementing emergency management programs, disaster plans and exercise design.
• Participated in numerous state and federal disaster research projects to find practical disaster planning strategies to maximize the use and benefits of a community disaster plan during emergencies.
• Participated in a federal government (FEMA) "model systems project" to determine the best approaches to local, state, and federal emergency plan coordination.
• Pioneered "let's break the mold for disaster planning and plan writing" courses for the National Coordinating Council for Emergency Management and for state emergency management groups.
• Developed FEMA's "Capability Assessment for Readiness (CAR)" program that in part describes the characteristics and "best practices" for emergency preparedness and planning processes and activities, to include exercises.
• Produced "best practices" texts and training programs for emergency management, disaster response, emergency preparedness, search and rescue, and survival.

ERI's "emergency management best practices" encourages state and local jurisdictions to develop programs and plans that will:

• Assess hazards, risks and vulnerabilities to the jurisdiction.
• Define resource (human, equipment, training) requirements.
• Assess existing capabilities against requirements.
• Identify deficiencies.
• Develop a comprehensive emergency management plan to correct deficiencies and meet requirements to include hazard mitigation strategies and tasks.
• Develop procedures and checklists for departments, agencies, organizations (field operating guides) to assist them in carrying out their emergency management duties, to include mitigation.
• Develop and conduct training and exercises to evaluate operational capabilities of people, facilities, and equipment.

• Proven training programs in emergency management and response that have been successfully used in every region of the country.
• Readily available textbooks, instructor manuals, and teaching kits for all courses developed by or through ERI.
• Individual or packaged set(s) of instructional aids.
• Access to the latest disaster research documentation and practitioner oriented lessons learned.
• Diversified training programs of varying lengths (long or short courses) to meet the needs of every level emergency responder.
• Complete service bookstore with the latest publications, research materials and audio visual products to aid the instructor and professional practitioner in emergency management.
• Publishing capabilities to develop, write and print state-of-the-art emergency management and response training courses, textbooks, visual aids and supportive practical exercises for training enhancement.
• A full range of consultative services for local, state and federal government agencies, business/industry, and private facilities to include state of the art emergency management program reviews, operational plan assessment and long range management work plan design.
• Design and promulgation of exercises to enhance both local emergency response capability and training effectiveness.
• Unique management evaluation of major operational functions and plans for Business and Industry, Fixed Nuclear Facilities, Critical Facilities, State and Local Government, and others.
• Specialized programs and training on almost any special emergency response topics such as legal issues, psychological problems and stress, mitigation, planning, technology, rescue, etc.
• A full range of emergency preparedness education and survival training programs for teachers and special interest audiences to include slide tape programs, textbooks and other instructor visual aids.
• Consultative services for disaster recovery and assistance aid following major disaster and emergency declarations.
• 'Train-the-trainer' programs for all courses offered by ERI in emergency management and response training.

Contract or agreement with a sponsoring agency or organization; ....or.... By special arrangement with a "host." A "Sponsor" organizes the course, paying for all instructor and course costs. A "Host" works with ERI staff to promote and present a local training opportunity. Funds to support the "Hosted" course are generated by a registration fee based upon a minimum number of attendees.

ERI continues to play a major role in the development and dissemination of new and innovative training materials and programs throughout the world on rescue, search management and all phases of community emergency management, disaster response.