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NIMS Basic - Resource Typing System

FEMA 501-9
March 24, 2006
Revision 0

I. Purpose:
This document provides a reformat of information regarding the NIMS national equipment typing system.

II. Scope:
The NIMS Integration Center has the overall responsibility for ongoing development and improvement of various NIMS activities and programs.
Under its auspices, the National Resource Management Working Group, established by FEMA, is responsible for establishing a national resource typing protocol.
The NIMS resource typing protocol is to be based on inputs from representatives from various:
• Federal agencies and departments.
• Private organizations.
• State and local emergency management.
• Law enforcement.
• Firefighting and emergency medical services.
• Public health.
• Public works.
• Other entities with assigned responsibilities under the NRP.
Federal, State, tribal, and local authorities should use the national typing protocol when inventorying their resources to allow incident managers to effectively assess resources status.

A. Elements
The resource typing protocol used by the NIMS describes resources using the following data definitions.
• Category
• Kind
• Components
• Metrics
• Type

B. Extract
This document is extracted from FEMA 501, National Incident Management System. Refer to the NIMS in the event of conflicting information.

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III. Table of Contents:

I. Purpose: ...................................1
II. Scope:.....................................1
A. Elements ...................................1
B. Extract ....................................2
III. Table of Contents: .......................2
IV. Definitions:...............................1
V. Process: ...................................3
A. Resources ..................................3
1. Category....................................3
a) Transportation..............................3
b) Communications .............................3
c) Public Works and Engineering................3
d) Firefighting ...............................3
e) Information And Planning....................3
f) Law Enforcement and Security ...............3
g) Mass Care ..................................4
h) Resource Management.........................4
i) Health and Medical .........................4
j) Search and Rescue ..........................4
k) Hazardous Materials Response................4
l) Food and Water .............................4
m) Energy .....................................4
n) Public Information .........................4
o) Animals and Agricultural Issues.............4
p) Volunteers and Donations....................4
2. Kind........................................5
3. Components..................................5
4. Metrics.....................................5
5. Type .......................................6
a) Multiple Types..............................6
6. Additional Information .....................6
B. Resource Typing Example ....................6
VI. References: ...............................7
VII. Supersedure: .............................7


IV. Definitions:
FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency
NIMS: National Incident Management System
NRP: National Response Plan

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V. Process:

A. Resources
• Consist of personnel, teams, facilities, supplies, and major items of equipment available for assignment to or use during incidents.
• May be used in tactical support or supervisory capacities at an incident or EOC.
• Description includes category, kind, components, metrics, and type.

1. Category
This is the function for which a resource would be most useful. The following sections briefly describe the categories used in the national equipment typing protocol.

a) Transportation
To assist Federal agencies, State and local governments, and voluntary organizations requiring transportation to:
• Perform incident management missions following a major disaster or emergency.
• Coordinate incident management operations.
• Restore the transportation infrastructure.

b) Communications
To provide communications support for Federal, State, Tribal, and local incident management efforts.

c) Public Works and Engineering
To assist those engaged in lifesaving, life-sustaining, damage mitigation, and recovery operations following a major disaster or emergency by:
• Providing technical advice, evaluation, and engineering services.
• Contracting for:
o Construction management.
o Inspection.
o Emergency repair of water and wastewater treatment facilities.
• Supplying potable water, ice, and emergency power.
• Arranging for needed real estate.

d) Firefighting
To detect and suppress urban, suburban, and rural fires.

e) Information and Planning
To collect, analyze, process, and disseminate information about a potential or actual disaster or emergency to facilitate overall activities in providing assistance to support planning and decision-making.

f) Law Enforcement and Security
Provide law enforcement assistance during response and recovery operations.
Assist with site security and investigation.

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g) Mass Care
To support efforts to meet the mass care needs of disaster victims; these efforts would include delivering such services as supplying victims with shelter, feeding, and emergency first aid; supplying bulk distribution of emergency relief supplies; and collecting information to/for a disaster welfare information system designed to report on victim status and assist in reuniting families.

h) Resource Management
Provides operational assistance for incident management operations.

i) Health and Medical
Provides assistance to supplement local resources in meeting public health and medical care needs following a disaster or emergency or during a potential developing medical situation.

j) Search and Rescue
Provides specialized lifesaving assistance in the event of a disaster or emergency, including:
• Locating.
• Extricating.
• Providing on-site medical treatment to victims trapped in collapsed structures.

k) Hazardous Materials Response
Supports the response to an actual or potential discharge, or release of hazardous materials.

l) Food and Water
Identifies, secures, and arranges for the transportation of safe food and water to affected areas during a disaster or emergency.

m) Energy
Helps restore energy systems following a disaster or emergency.

n) Public Information
Contributes to the well-being of the community following a disaster by:
• Disseminating accurate, consistent, timely, and easy-to-understand information.
• Gathering and disseminating information about disaster response and the recovery process.

o) Animals and Agricultural Issues
Coordinates activities when:
• Responding to an agricultural disaster.
• The health or care of animals is at issue.

p) Volunteers and Donations
Supports the management of unsolicited goods and unaffiliated volunteers, and helps establish a system for managing and controlling donated goods and services.

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2. Kind
This refers to broad classes that characterize like resources, such as:
• Teams
• Personnel
• Equipment
• Supplies
• Vehicles
• Aircraft

3. Components
Resources can have multiple components.
Example: An engine company may be listed as having the eight components shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Example Fire Fighting Engine Company Resource with Multiple Components

Component: Description
1: Pump
2: Hose 2 _inch
3: Hose 1 _inch
4: Hose 1 inch
5: Water Tank
6: Ladder
7: Master Stream
8: Personnel

Example: Urban search and rescue teams consist of two 31-person teams, four canines, and a comprehensive equipment cache. The cache is divided into five separate, color-coded elements and is stored in containers that meet specific requirements.

4. Metrics
Metrics:
• Are measurement standards that identify capability or capacity.
• Will differ depending on the kind of resource being typed. The mission envisioned determines the specific metric selected.
• Must be useful in describing a resource’s capability to support the mission.

Example: One metric for a disaster medical assistance team is the number of patients it can care for per day. Likewise, an appropriate metric for a hose might be the number of gallons of water per hour that can flow through it.

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5. Type
Type assignment:
• Refers to the level of resource capability.
• Provides managers with additional information to aid the selection and best use of resources.
•Is based upon a minimum level of capability described by the identified metrics for that resource or component.

a) Multiple Types
Assigning the Type I label to a resource implies that it has a greater level of capability than a Type II of the same resource, such as due to its power, size, or capacity, and so on to Type IV.
Example: The Coast Guard has typed oil skimmers based upon barrels per day as outlined in Table 2.

Table 2. Coast Guard Typed Oil Skimmers - Multiple Type Resource Example

Type: Capacity
Type I: 9600 barrels/day
Type II: 2880 barrels /day
Type III: 480 barrels /day
Type IV: N/A

In cases where a resource may have less than or more than four types, either:
• Additional types will be identified.
• The type will be described as “not applicable.”

6. Additional Information
The national resource typing protocol will also provide the capability to use additional information that is pertinent to resource decision making.
Example: A particular set of resources can only be released to support an incident under particular authorities or laws. The protocol should provide the ability for resource managers to understand such limitations.

B. Resource Typing Example
Table 3 is an example of a resource that has been completely typed under the national equipment typing system.

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Table 3. Fully Typed Resource Example of Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces

VI. References: FEMA 501, National Incident Management System

VII. Supersedure: Original