NA: 018-06
 NIMS Integration Center, November 21, 2006
NIMS-Integration-Center@dhs.gov
202-646-3850
NIMS Resource Inventory Management System (NIMS-RIMS)

NIMS Integration Center Releases Criteria for Credentialing Search and Rescue (SAR) Personnel
As part of our nation’s efforts to strengthen catastrophic response capabilities in line with the National Incident Management System (NIMS), FEMA’s NIMS Integration Center has released initial minimum criteria for SAR Personnel to be deployed using a national credentialing system. The purpose of this release is to solicit comments and constructive feedback for an open period not to exceed 45 calendar days from the date stated in this NIMS Alert.  Information on how to submit your comments via e-mail is located at the end of this Alert.  
An SAR credentialing working group comprised of Subject Matter Experts identified 36 positions anticipated to be most commonly requested during an interstate mutual aid response. They are: 

1. Disaster Collapsed Structure Canine Search Manager
2. Disaster Collapsed Structure Canine Search Technical Specialist (Advisor)
3. Disaster Collapsed Structure Canine Search Technician
4. Helicopter Search and/or Rescue Crew Chief (Disaster, Mountain, Stillwater, Swiftwater, Wilderness, Urban, et al)
5. Helicopter Search and/or Rescue Pilot (Disaster, Mountain, Stillwater, Swiftwater, Wilderness, Urban, et al)
6. Helicopter Search and/or Rescue Technician (Disaster, Mountain, Stillwater, Swiftwater, Wilderness, Urban, et al)
7. Human Remains Canine Search Manager	
8. Human Remains Canine Search Technical Specialist (Advisor)
9. Human Remains Canine Search Technician 
10. Mountain Search and/or Rescue Manager
11. Mountain Search and/or Rescue Technical Specialist (Advisor)
12. Mountain Search and/or Rescue Technician
13. Mountain Search and/or Rescue Unit Leader
14. Emergency Services Technical SAR Manager
15. Emergency Services Technical SAR Technician
16. Logistics Search and/or Rescue Technician (Disaster, Mountain, Stillwater, Swiftwater, Wilderness, Urban, et al)
17. Medical Search and/or Rescue Technician (Disaster, Mountain, Stillwater, Swiftwater, Wilderness, Urban, et al)
18. Structural Collapse Rescue Manager
19. Structural Collapse Rescue Technician
20. Structural Collapse Search Manager
21. Structural Collapse Search Technician 
22. Swiftwater/Flood Rescue Manager
23. Swiftwater/Flood Rescue Technician 
24. Swiftwater/Flood Rescue Technician- Boat Bowman
25. Swiftwater/Flood Rescue Technician- Boat Operator
26. Swiftwater/Flood Rescue Technical Specialist (Advisor)
27. Swiftwater/Flood Rescue Technician- Animal Rescue
28. Swiftwater/Flood Rescue Unit Leader
29. Water Canine Search Manager
30. Water Canine Search Technician
31. Wilderness Air Scent Canine Search Manager
32. Wilderness Air Scent Canine Search Technician
33. Wilderness Search and/or Rescue Manager 
34. Wilderness Search and/or Rescue Technical Specialist (Advisor)
35. Wilderness Search and/or Rescue Technician
36. Wilderness Search and/or Rescue Unit Leader  
For each job title, the SAR Working Group identified “requisite” and “recommended” baseline criteria for education, training, experience, physical/medical fitness, certification, and licensing. These criteria are intended to complement and support existing credentialing systems. Where national standards do not exist under “requisite” criteria, “recommended” criteria are listed for current and/or future consideration. 
These recommendations have been submitted to the NIMS Integration Center and will be made available on the NIMS Web page at www.fema.gov/emergency/nims. The NIMS Integration Center again invites NIMS Stakeholders to review these initial criteria for the standardized, national credentialing of SAR Personnel.  The SAR Working Group will review all responses submitted and as appropriate make any needed revisions with a final NIMS release of the Criteria for credentialing SAR personnel. 
All comments and questions should be directed to the following E-mail address: 
    NIMS-credentialing@L-3com.com


www.fema.gov/emergency/nims