NIMS, What is your Dept. requirment

[pfd950 1]

Recently our Village passed a resolution to adopt the NIMS system of command and control of all incedents. (ABOUT TIME!!!!) Within our F.D. we have set in place guidelines for whom has to get certified (ALL) and at what level. FF must have 100 and 200. Line officer 100, 200 & 700. Chief Officers 100, 200, 340, 700 & 800. The training and exams are free on the FEMA web site & they mail you a certificate within 10 days.

It is also my understanding that by Sept. all first responders within the State of New York must be NIMS compliant. I know it is going to be a factor on all grant applications from now on.

I just wanted to ask if your Dept. has a set of guidelines and how they are implementing the NIMS system.

[firemoose827 324]

I know our dept was told that grant monies would not be granted to depts without NIMS compliance. We sent our officers out for the NIMS training locally, and a few of us who take training seriously have since taken it through FEMA. I have 100 200 and 700. But we dont have any SOP's set up for that yet.

[ohbdow1 6]

By September 30,2006:

Entry level FF's (and First Responders) IS-700, I-100

Lieutenants IS-700, I-100, I-200

Captains IS-700, I-100, I-200, I-300

Chief's IS-700, I-100, I-300, I-400 and IS-800

IS-700 is only an awareness of the NIMS System. Being NIMS compliant is not only being certified in ICS. Like the previous post indicates, the governing body has to adopt NIMS. Be it a resolution by a village, town or county it has to be recognized and utilized. It must be reflected in your SOP's (or AKA; SOG's, EAP's, etc...). Fire districts must adopt it as well. There are no NIMS police, but if it comes down to two departments and one is NIMS compliant and the other is not, guess who wins. The Fed's use this example: If the county airport wants to purchase a snowblower with grant money and they are not NIMS compliant they will not be able to buy it.

[JBE 328]

There's been a lot of changes coming down on our end. Whole lot of terminology changes when it comes to unit designations that go along with the national standards. I read it a few weeks ago and my head is still spinning.

[firecapt32 282]

It looks like it has been laid out pretty clearly here, 100 and 700 can be done online.

Every one will be looking for compliance so the faster we get moving on training the better off we all will be.

Mabey departments can partner up with another department and help them get moving on compliance-- a mutual aid for NIMS. so to speak.

[Guest]

Does NIMS also require on-air terminology be plain english now (not 10 codes)? If so some departments have a long way to go.

[calhobs 110]

Be aware everyone That SEMO is getting out of the business of teaching ICS100 and ICS 200 only very few classes of those left if you wnt to take them in a classroom. You should be able to take ICS 200 online soon at FEMA if not already. The DES website has the list of ICS NIMS classes being done by the state in Westchester. Also if you go to SEMOs website you can see an list of classes for all of NY. Hope to see you all in classes soon.

Edited April 22, 2006 by calhobs

[grumpyff 1,159]

Does NIMS also require on-air terminology be plain english now (not 10 codes)? If so some departments have a long way to go.

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10 codes are still acceptable, but at a large scale incident there must be a way to overcome different 10-code system. This was discussed in Spet 2005. Check out this thread : http://emtbravo.net/index.php?showtopic=6810&hl=10+codes

[mstrang1 213]

I took the IS 700 Class yesterday and I brought up the topic of 10 codes and 'signals' (as we use in my Dept), to the instructor, and his response was that the guy who said they could keep the 10-codes got backed into a corner at a conference, and later revised his statement, and the way NIMS now works, is that apparently you can use whatever terminology you want on a day to day basis, but the minute it gets to a state or large scale, multi-agency operation, you shall use NIMS approved(ie Plain English) language. So basically, everyone should just get on board with the NIMS terminology just in case the s#!t hits the proverbial fan.

[ex-commish 490]

Recently our Village passed a resolution to adopt the NIMS system of command and control of all incedents. (ABOUT TIME!!!!) Within our F.D. we have set in place guidelines for whom has to get certified (ALL) and at what level.  FF must have 100 and 200. Line officer 100, 200 & 700. Chief Officers 100, 200, 340, 700 & 800. The training and exams are free on the FEMA web site & they mail you a certificate within 10 days.

It is also my understanding that by Sept. all first responders within the State of New York must be NIMS compliant. I know it is going to be a factor on all grant applications from now on.

I just wanted to ask if your Dept. has a set of guidelines and how they are implementing the NIMS system.

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We are going to have our people do it on-line and for those who may have trouble with material we will do some in-house training on it together. I hope to have my dept compliant by summer's end.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Its nice to see such conversation on something that is critical to the success of emergency operations. The one thing that I want to point out that while grant funding is dependant on all agencies becoming NIMS compliant and adoption of the system, the most important reason why this should be done is to improve the operation and outcome and above all else the safety of responders at emergency scenes. It significantly improves command and control and accountability if followed the way the system is designed. All it takes is practice, which comes with call volume because it should be used on every incident, from MVA's, AFA's to structure fires to plane crashes. And with terminology changes in normal operational language to functional assignments on the fireground it makes everything much better. Ask anyone else who has worked or operated in a system that using NIMS and they will tell you its much smoother.

While it is partly correct that SEMO is stopping the delivery of NIMS training, the task has been passed to OFPC whom is certifying SFI's to deliver the material through funding from SEMO and the State's Homeland Defense agency. This was a big win being it doesn't effect the annual hours given to the county for other fire training.

Finally keep in mind that in the county, you have several instructors through DES whom teach the NIMS courses. If you want to implement the system totally a phone call will get you numerous resources to assist you, overview your policies, help with training to get used to doing it (which is a win for all, being you can do all sorts of training while operating in the NIMS system).

[firecapt32 282]

I just love to follow als he has such a great way of saying things--- I already saidf my piece earlier but just had to follow him.... NIMS is making every one get on the same page so lets get with it guys the sooner the better.

[SteveOFD 176]

Last week at the Chiefs request, Ossining FD had approximately 100 of our members take IS700 & IS100 inhouse.

[calhobs 110]

Last week at the Chiefs request, Ossining FD had approximately 100 of our members take IS700 & IS100 inhouse.

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Steve i got to meet your Chief last week at ICS300 and He was tellin use that news, Great for you guys there for coming along like that good job.

[firecapt32 282]

Theres a department that is looking ahead congratulations to OFD !!!

keep up the great work it shows off when the excreatment hits the osculating machine(fan)

[SteveOFD 176]

I just hope this training sinks in to our guys. The training was a quick 4 hours on a Monday night to accomplish both modules. Personnally I think trying to teach 100 guys at a time was not the most conducive to stressing the importance of these concepts, but at least the effort was there.

I don't know if our long term members fully grasp that these concepts are required at all operations. We may make good stops with "lots of manpower", but we do need to fully grasp the concept of ICS (re: span of control and no freelancing).

We do have a good core of members that do understand and embrace ICS. Traditions die hard and I hope that with the help of the Chief's that all of our members fully grasp these concepts.

[firecapt32 282]

if you need help convincing the members contact me through here Im sure we canset something up. you are correct old habits do die hard but you have to convince them its the right way to go. keep up the good work.

remember training is good certified training is better

[Guest]

our department just took the I100 and I700. Thats all we are required to take at this time that we know of.

[hudson144 150]

after the big push on nims I hope that whoever had the thought of making this mandatory by september will do the same for some of the more important courses such as fast, fire fighter survival etc-these are the things that we should be teaching as a mandatory requirement to be a firefighter, yes,nims is an important part of the job but i still feel that the hands on back to basics stuff is a priority and is put off to the side by many!!!!

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Training members in NIMS is just a fraction of what needs to occur. The next step is getting the leadership to completely buy into it and start using it on calls as it is outlined and phase the members in to get used to it at the beginning. Once that occurs and you keep at it, it becomes easier and imbedded and all comes together making sense.

Hudson I agree with you to a point. But NIMS is part of the basics and could significantly improved the safety of those operating by improving span of control and accountability. Which is often listed as problems encountered in LODD deaths not attributed to cardiac arrest or apparatus MVA's. NIMS training and then implementation is right up there in the top 10 list in my opinion of critical courses and knowledge.

[Guest]

after the big push on nims I hope that whoever had the thought of making this mandatory by september will do the same for some of the more important courses such as fast, fire fighter survival etc-these are the things that we should be teaching as a mandatory requirement to be a firefighter, yes,nims is an important part of the job but i still feel that the hands on back to basics stuff is a priority and is put off to the side by many!!!!

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Your absolutely right Hudson, let's worry more about teaching these guys the basics, especially how to save your own a** and then your brother firefighters, instead of this ICS B.S. Touch on it briefly and then that's it. If guys worried more about their SCBA's having 4500psi and made sure their portable battery was always fresh, while remembering their Basics and not to freelance, there probably wouldn't be so many LODDs in the Fire Service, due to lack of Accountability. Let's face it also, the only reason Depts. are worrying with complying with NIMS by Sept. is so they'll be approved for further Fed.Grants. I think it's more important for a guy to know how to get himself or another out of a hole, than the difference between a Task Force and a Strike Force. Oh, and don't forget the symbol for the Helipad?

[Monty 35]

Training members in NIMS is just a fraction of what needs to occur.  The next step is getting the leadership to completely buy into it and start using it on calls as it is outlined and phase the members in to get used to it at the beginning. Once that occurs and you keep at it, it becomes easier and imbedded and all comes together making sense.

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Amen. I hope this is the start, and not the end. Not to rehash old territory, but maybe this will lead on to some of the other mandatory training that isn't happening - HAZMAT refresher, OSHA, Bloodborne pathogens etc.

It's a lot to do, but this isn't a game! Fun yes, I hope so but deadly serious.