Our training has been the result of our served agencies requesting that we participate in their classes and courses for the safety of our team members during an activation to possible hazardous situations.
Training is not mandatory, however, in an emergency or disaster incident, knowledge of the incident environment including the roles and responsibilities of all the supporting incident teams is helpful. As a radio communicator, training on the activities of the rest of the incident support team can lead to more efficient emergency communications support.
National Response Framework (NRF)
The United States National Response Framework (NRF) is part of the National Strategy for Homeland Security that presents the guiding principles enabling all levels of domestic response partners to prepare for and provide a unified national response to disasters and emergencies. (Click This For Wikipedia NRF Link)
Engaged partnership means that leaders at all levels collaborate to develop shared response goals and align capabilities. This collaboration is designed to prevent any level from being overwhelmed in times of crisis.
Tiered response refers to the efficient management of incidents, so that such incidents are handled at the lowest possible jurisdictional level and supported by additional capabilities only when needed.
Scalable, flexible, and adaptable operational capabilities are implemented as incidents change in size, scope, and complexity, so that the response to an incident or complex of incidents adapts to meet the requirements under Incident Command System (ICS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS) management by objectives. The ICS/NIMS resources of various formally-defined resource types are requested, assigned and deployed as needed, then demobilized when available and incident deployment is not longer necessary.
Unity of effort through unified command refers to the ICS/NIMS respect for each participating organization's chain of command with an emphasis on seamless coordination across jurisdictions in support of common objectives. This seamless coordination is guided by the "Plain English" communication protocol between ICS/NIMS command structures and assigned resources to coordinate response operations among multiple jurisdictions that may be joined at an incident complex.
Readiness to Act: "It is our collective duty to provide the best response possible. From individuals, households, and communities to local, tribal, State, and Federal governments, national response depends on our readiness to act."
For training on NRF, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute (EMI) has prepared interactive online courses for credit (certificate). Here is a link to the online course:
Click the link below to open in a new page:
http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/courseOverview.aspx?code=IS-800.b
National Incident Management System (NIMS)
The United States Government released the National Incident Management System (NIMS) for use in disasters and emergencies in 2003. NIMS is a system used in the United States to coordinate emergency preparedness and incident management among various federal, state, and local agencies. The NIMS is a structured framework used nationwide for both governmental and non-governmental agencies to respond to natural disasters or terrorist attacks at the local, state, and federal levels of government. The key benefits of NIMS are flexibility and standardization. Flexibility of supporting incident teams allows teams to respond to and work together to manage domestic incidents, regardless of their cause, size, location or complexity. Standardization of organizational structures, as well as definition of processes, procedures and systems prepared for use in incidents is designed to improve operability among the different teams that respond to an incident. Click This For Wikipedia NIMS Link)
For training on NIMS, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute (EMI) has prepared interactive online courses for credit (certificate). Here is a link to the online course:
Click the link below to open in a new page:
S-700.A: National Incident Management System (NIMS) An Introduction
Incident Command System (ICS)
The Incident Command System (ICS) is a systematic tool used for the command, control, and coordination of emergency response. A detailed definition of an ICS according to the United States Center for Excellence in Disaster Management & Humanitarian Assistance is "a set of personnel, policies, procedures, facilities, and equipment, integrated into a common organizational structure designed to improve emergency response operations of all types and complexities. ICS is a subcomponent of the National Incident Management System (NIMS), as released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2004." An ICS is based upon a changeable, scalable response organization providing a common hierarchy within which people can work together effectively. These people may be drawn from multiple agencies that do not routinely work together, and ICS is designed to give standard response and operation procedures to reduce the problems and potential for miscommunication on such incidents. ICS has been summarized as a "first-on-scene" structure, where the first responder of a scene has charge of the scene until the incident has been declared resolved, a more qualified responder arrives on scene and receives command, or the Incident Commander appoints another individual Incident Commander. (Click This For Wikipedia ICS Link)
For training on ICS, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute (EMI) has prepared interactive online courses for credit (certificate). Here is a link to the online course:
Click the link below to open in a new page:
IS-100.B: Introduction to Incident Command System, ICS-100
ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
In order to operate efficiently during an incident or event within the Incident Command System (ICS), an understanding of a supervisory position within the ICS is helpful even if you are not a supervisor. Leadership, management, delegation of authority, management by objectives, functional areas and positions, briefings, organizational flexibility, and transfer of command are some of the elements that supervisors must consider.
For training on ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute (EMI) has prepared interactive online courses for credit (certificate). Here is a link to the online course:
Click the link below to open in a new page:
IS-200.B: ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
Community Preparedness: Implementing Simple Activities for Everyone
Community members are the key to our Nation’s preparedness and resilience. The purpose of this course is to present a model program for community preparedness. Even more interesting, resources materials are available to help organizations conduct simple preparedness activities for everyone. The resource materials are "The Preparedness Topics". Click HERE to open list of topics in new window.
By the end the IS-909 course, participants will be able to:
Identify the definition of preparedness.
Describe the role of individuals and households in preparedness.
Identify community preparedness principles.
Describe the purpose of community-based preparedness activities.
Identify the steps for planning and conducting a community-based preparedness program.
Identify resources for supporting community-based preparedness programs.
Click the link below to open in a new page:
IS-909: Community Preparedness: Implementing Simple Activities for Everyone