Training
National Incident Management System
NIMS Training Requirements
On February 28, 2003, President Bush issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive -5. HSPD-5 directed the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and administer a National Incident Management System. NIMS provides a consistent nationwide template to enable all government, private sector, and nongovernmental organizations to work together during domestic incidents.
Under NIMS, preparedness is based on national standards for qualification and certification of emergency response personnel. Managed by the NIMS Integration Center, standards will help ensure that the participating agencies' and organizations' field personnel possess the minimum knowledge, skills, and experience to perform activities safely and effectively.
Standards will include training, experience, credentialing, currency, and physical and medical fitness. Personnel who are certified to support interstate incidents will be required to meet national qualification and certification standards.
The benefits of the NIMS system will be significant:
- Standardize organizational structures, processes and procedures;
- Standards for planning, training and exercising, and personnel qualification standards;
- Equipment acquisition and certification standards;
- Interoperable communications processes, procedures and systems;
- Information management systems; and
- Supporting technologies - voice and data communications processes, information systems, data display systems and specialized technologies.
There are two courses available from the Utah Fire & Rescue Academy that will help meet requirements for NIMS compliance.
- NIMS - Incident Command Systems for the Fire Service (NIMS-ICSFS) is a 14-hour course that is designed to develop an understanding of the Incident Command System (ICS) and its application in both emergency and non-emergency situations. This course addresses the need for an ICS, an overview of the structure and flexibility of ICS, and an understanding of the command skills necessary to function effectively in an ICS structure. This course meets the requirements for ICS-100 and ICS-200.
- NIMS - Incident Command Systems for Emergency Medical Services (NIMS-ICSEMS) is a 16-hour course, during which the student will be introduced to the concepts of EMS-specific incident command through lecture and guided discussion. They will use scenarios, case studies, graphics, and audiovisuals and role-play to demonstrate understanding of the concepts. This course meets the requirements for ICS-100 and ICS-200.
In addition to these two courses the Emergency Management Institute (EMI) at the NETC in Maryland, has several ICS-100 and ICS-200 level courses that may be taken online as interactive Web-courses (http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/IS/crslist.asp).
If an agency would like additional information about NIMS compliancy or about anything in this article, please contact the Utah Fire & Rescue Academy at 1-888-548-7816.