NIMS Certification

What is NIMS?

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) provides a systematic, proactive approach to guide departments and agencies at all levels of government, non-goverment organizations, and the private sector to work seamlessly to prevent, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of incidents, regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity, in order to reduce the loss of life and property and harm to the environment.

NIMS works hand in hand with the National Response Framework (NRF). NIMS provides the template for the management of incidents, while the NRF provides the structure and mechanisms for national-level policy for incident management. " - http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/AboutNIMS.shtm

NIMS Certification:

If you’re interested in becoming NIMS certified and learning more about Disaster Preparedness, you can access the NSNA Disaster Preparedness Guide to Planning at:

NSNA Disaster Preparedness Guide to Planning (PDF)

According to the NSNA guidelines from the document in the link above, you must complete three or more of the Independent Study Program (ISP) courses listed below. To find a list of all NIMS ISP courses, please view all NIMS compliant courses.

IS-700.a: NIMS an Introduction

This course introduces and overviews the National Incident Management System (NIMS). NIMS provides a consistent nationwide template to enable all government, private-sector, and nongovernmental organizations to work together during domestic incidents.

IS-100.HC: Introduction to Incident Command System for Healthcare/Hospitals

ICS 100.HC, Introduction to the Incident Command System for Healthcare/Hospitals, introduces the Incident Command System (ICS) and provides the foundation for higher level ICS training. This course describes the history, features and principles, and organizational structure of ICS. It also explains the relationship between ICS and the National Incident Management System (NIMS). This course uses the same objectives and content as other ICS courses with healthcare/hospital examples and exercises.

IS – 22a: Are You Ready? An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness

The "Are You Ready? An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness" has been designed to help the citizens of this nation learn how to protect themselves and their families against all types of hazards. It can be used as a reference source or as a step-by-step manual. The focus of the content is on how to develop, practice, and maintain emergency plans that reflect what must be done before, during, and after a disaster to protect people and their property. Also included is information on how to assemble a disaster supplies kit that contains the food, water, and other supplies in sufficient quantity for individuals and their families to survive.

IS-200.b: ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents

ICS 200 is designed to enable personnel to operate efficiently during an incident or event within the Incident Command System (ICS). ICS-200 provides training on and resources for personnel who are likely to assume a supervisory position within the ICS.

IS-230.a: Fundamentals of Emergency Management

The goal of this course is to introduce you to the fundamentals of emergency management. This course presents emergency management as an integrated system with resources and capabilities networked together to address all hazards. This is the first course in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute’s independent study Professional Development Series.