NATIONAL CREDENTIALING DEFINITION AND CRITERIA 
 
This NIMS Guide expands upon DHS-FEMA NIMS #501, Chapter 4, Resource Management – dated March 24, 2006.   
 
Purpose of the Guide and Overview: 
 
The purpose of this NIMS Guide is to establish a standard definition and criteria for credentialing requirements as they relate  to personnel ordered as single resources or personnel assigned to teams, and crew assigned to equipment, listed within the “Tier One” NIMS national resource typing definitions as posted by the NIMS Integration Center. This NIMS Guide augments the DHS-FEMA NIMS #501, Chapter 4, Resource Management - dated March 24, 2006. This document is also intended as an accompaniment to the NIMS Guide (NG 0001) titled “National Resource Typing Criteria” dated March 27, 2007. 
 
NIMS-Credentialing: 
 
Is the administrative process for validating the qualifications of personnel and assessing their background, for authorization and permitting/granting access to an incident, involving mutual aid between states (interstate).   
 
The Accepted Credentialing Process: 
 
The credentialing process as accepted by a Federal, state, tribal, or local jurisdictions as well as private agencies, is an objective evaluation and documentation of a person’s current licensure or degree; training or experience; competence or certification, and the ability to meet a nationally accepted minimum standard; to provide particular services; and/or functions or perform particular procedures during an incident.  
 
The following is the NIMS credentialing criteria for the NIMS national resource typing definitions: 
 
1. The credentialing process is voluntary (1) (i.e. reflecting only the voluntary participation of a/the first responder(s) who are willing to be deployed under interstate mutual aid agreements or compacts); 


 
2. Relates only to personnel and teams, either as a single resource or part of a response team, as defined in existing and deployable interstate response resources or first responder assets;  


 
3. The NIMS credentialing requirements focus on required minimum qualifications in order to define and ensure the competency of the stated resource capability being requested; 


 
4. 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. 


 
5. Is based on verifiable accreditation and certification issued by the appropriate professional regulatory agencies, professional associations or licensing authorities;       

6. Needs to be sufficiently standardized and definable to promote the exchange and regulation through interstate mutual aid agreements or compacts;  


Text Box: NIMS Guide
 
7. Credentialing needs to facilitate resources and assets capability for the purpose of inventory and tracking to determine availability status for response operations;   


 
8. Issuance of any credentialing certifications remains with the jurisdiction having authority; and 


 
9. Will need to be able to comply with evolving technological and information standards to permit: 


 
a. Verification of identity;  


 
b. Verification of qualifications; and  


 
c. Verification of deployment authorization.   


 
Authorized Access/Entry Privileges: 
 
For an individual/team to be granted access to an incident site by the proper authorizing agent(s), the following three requirements must be presented: 
 
1. Two forms of photo identification to verify identity, of which at least one of which must be issued by a governmental authority (i.e. see examples below);  


2. Proof of qualifications/certification, issued by the proper authority as authorized by the State; and 


 
3. Authorization for deployment (i.e. which includes, but is not limited to, the examples below). 


 
Once this information has been provided and approved/accepted, the individual/team may be issued further credentials for site/incident access privileges by the jurisdiction having authority. 
____________________________________________________________________________________ 
 
EXAMPLES OF ID AND CREDENTIALS (two from Identity and one from the other columns) 
____________________________________________________________________________________ 
Identity     Qualification    Invitation 
Drivers license/Government issue ID NWCG Redcard    Letter of Invitation 
Passport     NIMS Qualification Card (TBD)  EMAC Verification 
ID - Immigration     Red Cross Card    Deployment Orders 
ID - Indian Affairs   Medical Corps ID Card   
ID - Company-Employer    Company Qualification Card   
ID - Military      
ID - Law Enforcement           
ID - Fire/EMS                                            
ID - Public Works                                     
ID - Hospital       
    
 
 
 
 
 
All of the examples must be signed by the agent authorized by the State Director (or the Governor’s designated official). 
(1) While acknowledging that the NIMS credentialing is voluntary, this is not to imply that NIMS credentialing allows for circumventing any licensures and/or other professional accreditation requirements. 
 
 
NWCG = National Wildfire Coordinating Group 

NIMS = National Incident Management System 
EMAC = Emergency Management Assistance Compact