General Information

National Incident Management System (NIMS) Training

The National Training Program for NIMS has developed a common national foundation for training and qualifying emergency management/response personnel. Adequately trained and qualified emergency management/response personnel are critical to the national implementation of NIMS. The NIMS document describes the National Integration Center's (NIC) responsibility to develop "a national program for NIMS education and awareness,” and to facilitate common national standards for personnel qualification. The NIMS Training Program was mandated by the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006. The NIMS curriculum is managed under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by the Emergency Management Institute (EMI).

NIMS Courses Accepted by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG)

As of October 1, 2014, the following 13 NWCG courses were transitioned to the FEMA NIMS Training Curriculum:

Incident Command System (ICS) Courses

• I-100, Introduction to ICS replaced by ICS 100 (IS100), Introduction to ICS.
• I-200, Basic ICS replaced by ICS 200 (IS200.b), Basic ICS.
• I-300, Intermediate ICS replaced by ICS 300 (G/E/L300), Intermediate ICS.
• I-400, Advanced ICS replaced by ICS 400 (G/E/L400), Advanced ICS.
• M-480, Multi-Agency Coordinating (MAC) Group replaced by IS-701, NIMS Multi-agency Coordination System (MACS).

Position Specific Courses

• S-346, Situation Unit Leader replaced by E/L964, Situation Unit Leader.
• S-349, Resources Unit Leader/Demobilization Unit Leader replaced by E/L965 Resources Unit Leader/Demobilization Unit Leader.
• S-356, Supply Unit Leader replaced by E/L970, Supply Unit Leader.
• S-360, Finance/Administration Unit Leaders replaced by E/L975, Finance/Administration Unit Leaders.
• S-400, Incident Commander replaced by E/L950, Incident Commander.
• S-403, Public Information Officer replaced by E/L952, Public Information Officer.
• S-450, Logistics Section Chief replaced by E/L967, Logistics Section Chief.
• S-460, Finance/Administration Section Chief replaced by E/L973, Finance/Administration Section Chief.

NWCG Delivery of FEMA ICS and All-Hazards Position Specific (AHPS) Training Courses

NWCG member agencies may deliver both types of courses, ICS and AHPS. However, the specific procedures for delivering the two types of courses are different. The steps for coordination and delivery of FEMA ICS and AHPS courses are outlined in the following document: (Process for Delivery of FEMA Courses).

FEMA EMI Course Contacts:

emi-nims-icstraining@fema.dhs.gov

Links

Emergency Management Institute NIMS ICS AHPS Training Program website: https://training.fema.gov/allhazards/

NIMS Training Program: https://www.fema.gov/training

FAQs

ICS/IS Courses

Who can instruct the ICS (ICS 100-402) courses?

• There is no national instructor database for the ICS courses. FEMA provides ICS instructor qualification guidelines on the ICS AHPS Training Program Website https://training.fema.gov/allhazards/

I am putting on a classroom version of ICS-100 or ICS-200, how do I test the students?

• Students must take the exam online via the Independent Study (https://training.fema.gov/is/) website and they will receive a FEMA issued certificate via email.

How can I tell if an ICS completion certificate is valid?

• Delivery of the ICS courses has been delegated down to both state and federal entities (including NWCG) and therefore, various certificates are being issued.
• State Training Officers (STOs), as well as federal entities, have discretion in determining the validity of certificates. STOs can be a helpful resource when you have questions. Additionally, Russell Flick, of the EMI can assist and is available at russell.flick@fema.dhs.gov.
• States and agencies may choose to attach a unique course number to their course completion certificate. Validate with your course coordinator or lead instructor that the FEMA NIMS ICS curriculum available through the EMI was used for the course. For this example, in either the Incident Qualification System (IQS) or the Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS), input ICS-300 in the system.

All Hazard Position Specific Courses

How do I know if I am in the NIMS Training Instructor database?

• The national instructor database for the AHPS courses is maintained by the EMI. STO or Geographic Area Training Representatives (GATR) can review the database upon request.

How do instructors who were not historically recognized during the application period get into the NIMS training instructor database?

• Those wanting to be in the national instructor database to teach the NIMS position specific courses may do so in two ways:

1. Attend a Train the Trainer course outlined in the document NIMS ICS AHPS Training Program at https://training.fema.gov/allhazards/ under Administrative Guidelines.
2. If you meet the instructor qualifications as outlined in the document, NIMS ICS AHPS Training Program at https://training.fema.gov/allhazards/, under Administrative Guidelines, submit a justification and list of qualifications to Colby Jackson at cjackson@blm.gov.

How do I find a FEMA NIMS AHPS course that is scheduled to be put on in my area?

• If you haven't already done so, get in touch with your STO. They or their counterpart in another state can help find out who might be putting on a particular course in your part of the country. The following link has STO contact information by state. https://cdp.dhs.gov/contact/saa
• There is not currently a comprehensive website that lists all training by state but the STOs coordinate with others in their areas of the country and can provide lists of upcoming courses.

Can I take a FEMA course in lieu of a required NWCG course?

• No, a FEMA course cannot be substituted for a required NWCG course.

Can NWCG certificates be issued for AHPS courses?

• No, if you conduct a course with FEMA materials that is identified with an EMI number, students should receive an EMI certificate.

I need proof of completion of a FEMA NIMS course but have not yet received my certificate, what should I do?

• If verification of course completion is needed prior to receiving the National Emergency Training Center (NETC) certificate, course coordinators can provide a copy of the course roster to the student.