The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency Emergency Management Institute have developed Introduction to the National Infrastructure Protection Plan, a Web-based course that provides the key concepts of the NIPP and is designed to meet the training needs of a wide range of government and private sector security partners.

The course addresses the importance of protecting the nation's critical infrastructure and key resources, and provides an overview of many of the key concepts of the NIPP. This includes the risk management framework, the partnership model designed to facilitate coordination and cooperation between infrastructure owners and operators and the government, the networked approach to information-sharing, and the new risk-based approach to resource allocation. It describes the 17 sector-specific plans that address the particular needs of each sector, including the emergency management and services sector, and it underscores the opportunities and benefits of participation.

The course is available free of charge and may be accessed through the EMI Independent Study Web site. Select course number IS-860. The course can be taken for certificate credit or for information purposes only.