NIMS Training

• Five-Year NIMS Training Plan
• NRF Integrated Emergency Management Course (IEMC)
• NIMS Courses
• FAQs

Five-Year NIMS Training Plan

A critical tool in promoting the nationwide implementation of NIMS is a well-developed training program that facilitates NIMS training throughout the Nation, growing the number of adequately trained and qualified emergency management/response personnel. Closely related to the training, core competencies will form the basis of the training courses’ learning objectives and personnel qualifications that validate proficiency. The Incident Management Systems Integration Division is charged with the development of NIMS core competencies, training courses, and personnel qualifications.

Released in February 2008, the Five-Year NIMS Training Plan describes the operational foundations of these efforts; defines NIMS core competencies, training courses, and personnel qualifications as part of the National Training Program for NIMS; assembles and updates the training guidance for available NIMS courses (organized as a core curriculum); and lays out a plan for the next five years to continue development of the National Training Program.

The Five-Year NIMS Training Plan compiles the NIC’s existing and ongoing development of NIMS training and guidance for personnel qualification. Previous guidance on NIMS training has been updated and is issued as appendixes of this document. The National Training Program for NIMS will develop and maintain a common national foundation for training and qualifying emergency management/response personnel. To accomplish this, the Five-Year NIMS Training Plan describes a sequence of goals, objectives, and action items that translates the functional capabilities defined in NIMS into positions, core competencies, training, and personnel qualifications.

• Five-Year NIMS Training Plan [2/08] (PDF 529KB, TXT 147KB)

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NRF Integrated Emergency Management Course (IEMC)

The Integrated Emergency Management Course, offered by the Emergency Management Institute (EMI) of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), places public officials and emergency personnel in a realistic crisis situation within a structured learning environment. Early in the course, an emergency scenario begins to unfold in sequence with classroom-style lectures, discussions, and small-group workshops. As the course progresses, scenario-related events of increasing complexity, threat, and pressure occur. Participants develop emergency policies, plans, and procedures to ensure an effective response. The course culminates in an emergency exercise designed to test participant knowledge, awareness, flexibility, leadership, decisionmaking, and interpersonal skills under extreme pressure in the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) environment.

Participants are challenged to use the new ideas, skills, and abilities in addition to their own knowledge and experience. In this way, the Integrated Emergency Management Course allows individuals to rehearse their real-life roles in a realistic emergency situation, while at the same time identifying additional planning needs.

NRF Integrated Emergency Management Course (PDF 82KB, TXT 3KB)

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NIMS Courses

To determine what level of training an individual needs according to his or her level of responsibility during a multijurisdiction, multiagency, multidiscipline incident, refer to the NIMS Five-Year Training Plan [2/08] (PDF 529KB, TXT 147KB).

Fact Sheets:

• ICS-100 Fact Sheet [3/07] (PDF 28KB, TXT 2KB)
• ICS-200 Fact Sheet [3/07] (PDF 28KB, TXT 3KB)
• ICS-300 Fact Sheet [3/07] (PDF 28KB, TXT 2KB)
• ICS-400 Fact Sheet [3/07] (PDF 28KB, TXT 2KB)
• IS-700.A NIMS Fact Sheet [3/07] (PDF 16KB, TXT 3KB)
• IS-701 NIMS Multiagency Coordination System Fact Sheet [3/07] (PDF 16KB, TXT 3KB)
• IS-702 NIMS Public Information Systems Fact Sheet [3/07] (PDF 16KB, TXT 3KB)
• IS-703 NIMS Resource Management Fact Sheet [3/07] (PDF 16KB, TXT 3KB)

ICS-300 and ICS-400 courses are courses conducted in a classroom. Both the Emergency Management Institute and the National Fire Academy sponsor NIMS-compliant ICS-300 and 400 training. Please contact your local or State Emergency Management Agency or State Fire Academy for details about when and where these courses will be available. 

Emergency Management Institute

The Emergency Management Institute (EMI), located at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, MD, offers a broad range of NIMS-related training.

NIMS-related courses offered online by EMI include:

• IS-100.a - Introduction to the Incident Command System
• IS-100.HC - Introduction to the Incident Command System for Healthcare/Hospitals
• IS-100.LEa - Introduction to the Incident Command System for Law Enforcement
• IS-100.PWa - Introduction to the Incident Command System for Public Works Personnel
• IS-100.SCa - Introduction to the Incident Command System for Schools
• IS-200.a - ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
• IS-200.HC - Applying ICS to Healthcare Organizations
• IS-700.A - National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction
• IS-701 - NIMS Multiagency Coordination System
• IS-702 - NIMS Public Information Systems
• IS-703 - NIMS Resource Management
• IS-706 - NIMS Intrastate Mutual Aid, An Introduction
• IS-800.B - National Response Framework, An Introduction

For more information on the Emergency Management Institute, please visit www.training.fema.gov.

United States Fire Administration - National Fire Academy

The National Fire Academy (NFA) offers a broad range of training that addresses key elements of NIMS within an all-hazards environment. The numerous command and control courses, for example, support provisions of the NIMS ICS. NFA also has courses that address incident-specific areas, including hazardous materials and terrorism emergency response and emergency medical services. NFA offers courses in preparedness planning, training, and management as well as resident, field, and self-study courses.

The NFA offers the following NIMS-compliant courses online:

• Q-462 ICS-100, Introduction to ICS for Operational First Responders
• Q-463 ICS-200, Basic ICS for Operational First Responders

They are located at: www.usfa.dhs.gov/training/

For more information on the National Fire Academy, please click here: www.usfa.dhs.gov/training/nfa/

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FAQs

Q: I still have not received my training certificate for a course I took on the EMI Web site. What should I do?

A: If you have inquiries regarding certificates or EMI online courses, please contact the Emergency Management Institute's Independent Study Office at: (301) 447-1200 or e-mail them at: Independent.Study@dhs.gov.

Q: Who has to take NIMS and ICS training?

A: Stakeholders will define the emergency management/response personnel within their jurisdiction, agency, or organization who require ongoing training. This includes all emergency services related disciplines such as EMS, hospitals, public health, fire service, law enforcement, public works/utilities, skilled support personnel, and other emergency management response, support and volunteer personnel, as follows:

Entry Level:

• FEMA IS-700: NIMS, An Introduction
• ICS-100: Introduction to ICS or equivalent

First Line, Single Resource, Field Supervisors:

• IS-700.A, ICS-100, and ICS-200: Basic ICS or its equivalent

Middle Management: Strike Team Leaders, Division Supervisors, EOC Staff, etc.:

• IS-700.A, IS-800.B NRF, ICS-100, ICS-200, and ICS-300

Command and General Staff; Area, Emergency, and EOC Managers:

• IS-700.A, IS-800.B NRF, ICS-100, ICS-200, ICS-300, and ICS-400

Q: What level of NIMS training is required for elected officials?

A: The National Integration Center (NIC) Incident Management Systems Integration (IMSI) Division strongly recommends that all elected officials who will be interacting with multiple jurisdictions and agencies during an incident at the minimum complete IS-700: NIMS, An Introduction and ICS-100: Introduction to ICS. These courses provide a basic understanding of the National Incident Management System and the Incident Command System. Everyone directly involved in managing an emergency should understand the command reporting structures, common terminology, and roles and responsibilities inherent in a response operation.

Q: What training do I need to be an ICS instructor?

A:

ICS-100: Instructor Qualifications

1. Successful completion of accredited ICS-100, ICS-200, and IS-700.A.
2. Service in a mid-level emergency management and incident response position within five years in real-world incidents, planned events, or accredited exercises.
3. Recognized qualifications in techniques of instruction and adult education methodologies.

ICS-200: Instructor Qualifications

1. Successful completion of accredited ICS-100, ICS-200, IS-700.A, and IS-800.B.
2. Service in a mid-level emergency management and incident response position within five years in real-world incidents, planned events, or accredited exercises.
3. Recognized qualifications in techniques of instruction and adult education methodologies.

ICS-300: Instructor Qualifications

1. Successful completion of accredited ICS-100, ICS-200, ICS-300, ICS-400, IS-700.A, and IS-800.B.
2. Service in a mid-level incident management position within five years in real-world incidents, planned events, or accredited exercises.
3. Recognized qualifications in techniques of instruction and adult education methodologies.

ICS 400: Instructor Qualifications

1. Successful completion of accredited ICS-100, ICS-200, ICS-300, ICS-400, IS-700.A, and IS-800.B.
2. Service in a mid-level emergency management and incident response position within five years in real-world incidents, planned events, or accredited exercises.
3. Recognized qualifications in techniques of instruction and adult education methodologies.

For additional information, refer to the Five-Year NIMS Training Plan. An instructor's qualifications must be verified by the agency sponsoring the training.

Q: I've tried logging on NIMSCAST and my password doesn't work. What can I do?

A: If you have received a temporary password, you will need to log into your account within 24 hours and change your password. If it has been more than 24 hours since you received your password, you can have a new password e-mailed to you by clicking on the "lost or forgotten password" option on the NIMSCAST login page. Remember, new passwords must be at least eight characters long and must contain at least one of each of the following: lowercase character (a-z); uppercase character (A-Z); special character (!, @, #, $, %, etc ...); and a digit (0-9). Be sure to input your password exactly - it is case sensitive.

For additional information, refer to the Five-Year NIMS Training Plan. An instructor's qualifications must be verified by the agency sponsoring the training.

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