NIMS/ICS study guide
NIMS/ICS · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
NIMS/ICS refers to two separate FEMA Emergency Management Institute Independent Study courses that together form the entry point to incident management training. IS-100.C, Introduction to the Incident Command System, introduces ICS and provides the foundation for higher level ICS training; it describes the history, features and principles, and organizational structure of ICS, and explains the relationship between ICS and the National Incident Management System. The NIMS/ICS study guide has 5 sections and about 1,789 words.
01Principles and Basic Structure of the Incident Command System
The Incident Command System is a standardized, on-scene, all-hazards management tool. It grew out of the 1970 FIRESCOPE project after California wildfire seasons exposed failures of multi-agency coordination - duplicated effort, unclear authority, and incompatible terminology.
367 words, about 2 min02NIMS Management Characteristics as the Foundation of ICS
NIMS lists fourteen management characteristics that ICS embodies: common terminology; modular organization; management by objectives; incident action planning; manageable span of control; incident facilities and locations; comprehensive resource management; integrated communications; establishment and transfer of command; unified command; chain of command and unity of command; accountability; dispatch/deployment; and information and intelligence management. Manageable span of control - a supervisor should oversee 3 to 7 subordinates, with 5 as the working optimum.
355 words, about 2 min03ICS Functional Areas and the Roles of the Incident Commander and Command Staff
The IC is established by the first arriving qualified person and holds overall authority until formally transferred. The IC sets objectives, approves the IAP, establishes command, and delegates.
380 words, about 2 min04General Staff Roles Within ICS
The only section that directly supervises tactical resources. It is organized by divisions (geographic), groups (functional), branches, and task forces or strike teams.
322 words, about 2 min05Applying NIMS Management Characteristics Across Roles and Disciplines
NIMS requires the same ICS structure for fire, EMS, law enforcement, public health, public works, and NGOs. A law enforcement operation - a planned event or an active threat - uses the same five functions; tactical units may be strike teams and a security branch may sit under Operations.
365 words, about 2 min