The Incident Management Systems Division Releases the Updated Animal Emergency Response Credentialing Job Titles

As part of our Nation’s efforts to strengthen catastrophic response capabilities in line with the National Incident Management System (NIMS), FEMA’s Incident Management Systems Division has released updated Animal Health Job Titles. 

Over the past year a dedicated group of experts, the Animal Emergency Response working group and hundreds of reviewers developed a resource typing and credentialing framework to better prepare for and respond to all hazard causes of emergencies affecting animals. The initiative grew out of years of experience of animals being adversely affected by disasters and the high profile animals received during the response to Hurricane Katrina. 

On July 5, 2007, the Animal Emergency Response working group issued a NIMS Alert for a 30 day public feedback period.  During this period, the workingr group received many comments and questions from national and state associations and related organizations, as well as from individuals with a professional interest in initiatives supporting resource typing and credentialing.  The Animal Emergency Response working group adjudicated all comments, considered feedback, and updated the job titles accordingly.  These changes were submitted to the Incident Management Systems Division at FEMA and are now finalized.

These job titles are now part of the National Emergency Responder Credentialing System which documents minimum professional qualifications, certifications, training and education requirements that define the standards required for specific emergency response functional positions. The National credentialing process is voluntary (i.e. reflecting only the volunteer participation of a/first responder(s) willing to be deployed under interstate mutual aid agreements or compacts). States must establish a program administered by the State Director (or other Official designated by the Governor) to grant authority to agencies, organizations or other entities to issue Qualification Cards for persons to be deployed for interstate mutual aid. For additional information please see NIMS Guide 0002, March 27, 2007 on National Credentialing Definition and Criteria at http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/rm/guide_rm.shtm.