FEMA CERT, NIMS, ICS, LOL, EMI, BBQ, HTTP acronyms

[Peally]

So I'm actively looking to get enrolled into some FEMA CERT style classes for the sake of pumping up the resume and doing something useful with my life, but the FEMA website is (extremely predictably) dyed in the wool clunky government stuff. I see they have IS (Independent Study) classes as introductions to CERT, but they also have classes under "ICS (Incident Command System). There is also NIMS (National Incident Management System) and EMI (Emergency Management Institute) content.

Naturally they don't seem to have any obvious place that explains the logical hierarchy of these terms and organizations and how they all fit together. Nor do they mention which would make sense as a civilian just looking to plop in some hours to help out if the poop hits the fan. I'm sure I could find the answer if I kept digging for an hour, but it's probably easier to just shoot it at you guys and see if an officer or EMT or something can just spill it out in simple terms (both for my sake and other's). Just looking to get on the right track here.



Also I don't remember who mentioned their wife works as a CERT instructor but it's a good idea to get involved without dropping everything to get a first responder career, so thanks mystery dude.

[blues]

I went through CERT training a number of years ago. I'm sure it's only better and more comprehensive now...but it was worthwhile.

[Peally]

What's the difference between that and, say, ICS? I have no idea what each of these groups is, they're all apparently isolated from one another and no context is given regarding which one does what for who.

[ST911]

CERT is useful and worthwhile, especially if your local group is enthusiastic with good trainers.

The online FEMA/NIMS/ICS/etc training you ask about is generally poor quality learning. For best results, use it only to prime actual practical exercises and mentored field experience. Don't use it as a standalone. The instructor led FEMA stuff can be just as bad, with structured lessons that don't allow deviation. Of the instructor-led products, Blue Cell does a pretty good job.

I'm not sure what any of those do for a resume or cred file. You can take a weekend and pump out a stack of those online course certificates. Looks impressive only to those who don't know anything about them.

Join a local VFD, be a go-getter, deploy to some larger incidents if you can. Much more impressive, and much more educational.

[Peally]

Resume of life*

Thanks for the info!

[RoyGBiv]

I'm active in my local CERT. That makes me an expert on absolutely nothing, but, FWIW.....

1. You should seek out your local CERT if you want to get involved. Here locally, we run a class every year. Open to any resident who wants to sign up. We teach the CERT Basic course to people wanting to learn the basics, then at the end of the course we invite graduates to join CERT. Some do, some don't.

2. From what I gather from my interactions with other local CERTs, not everything is the same across all organizations. We have a heavy focus on HAM Radio / EOC ops / Weather, overlapping with stuff that RACES does. A lot of that comes from specific interests of members, some comes from local needs as defined by our sponsor .gov organization (FD / City Emergency Manager). I understand from others that have been involved with CERT in other states, that we cover a lot of ground that other CERTs are not trusted to handle, but we're way less focused on things that don't apply much around here, such as wilderness S&R, for example.

3. The CERT basic class will cover the parts of ICS you need to know. As part of the class you have to finish some online ICS coursework and bring in your completion certificates. ICS is the rule book for how most (?) emergency response incidents are handled. Who is in charge on site, what roles are needed, what the responsibilities are... etc. (simplifying here). Knowing the ICS basics, plus the details of how your local group might be tasked, will draw the clear picture of who reports to who under a given set of circumstances.

4. The "hierarchy" is also very local and incident specific. In a big emergency, the City/Local Emergency Manager will be the first person "in charge". At a fire, the Chief or BC will typically take the lead role per ICS. At a police "incident", they would have their own way of designation the in-charge person on the scene, but still be able to follow ICS protocols if they are organized around ICS protocols.

FEMA is more of a standards organization in this regard, rather than anything CERT (or FD or PD) deals with on a daily basis. Although my creds have FEMA logos on them. The hierarchy you experience will be locally defined. Here we are integrated into my citys' emergency management plan. I know that is not the case in some other places. We are an independently chartered 501c3, but we take guidance from the city on what activities they want us to support. We do rehab (not what you think) for firefighters (requires training beyond basic), suburban S&R (lost elders, for example), and are offered opportunities to join other groups in need of vetted members (kidnap response team). We also do some force multiplier work for the PD.... Parades, traffic, etc. as needed. Again, that will differ by locale and the local relationships with the various city/county functions.

5. Reality.... Last year when Hurricane Harvey submerged much of the Houston area, our AO took in a lot of evacuees. FEMA provided money and the rule book, Red Cross provided shelter management expertise, local cities provided supplies, facilities, manpower and expertise, CERT (and other vetted organizations) provided staffing. Depending on local rules, you can't volunteer to staff a shelter unless you have a background check. We turned away a lot of volunteers....

Let me know if I missed something... I'll try to answer as best as I can, but really, the details are definitely defined locally.

[Peally]

Awesome Roy, thank you for the details. I will get on it and see what my county has going on.

[Drang]

@Condition Write

At some level these things all fit together, and/or one is subordinated to the other. Basically a lot of this is the bureaucratization of emergency response.

It amounts to an effort to reduce the planning for emergency response to something that can be dealt with by following a flow chart and using the appropriate form. Saying it that way is kind minimizes how effective it can be, and outsiders can be easily intimidate by the terminology that gets thrown around so casually.

NIMS = National Incident Management System

NIMS guides all levels of government, nongovernmental organizations (NGO), and the private sector to work together to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from incidents. NIMS provides stakeholders across the whole community with the shared vocabulary, systems, and processes to successfully deliver the capabilities described in the National Preparedness System. NIMS defines operational systems, including the Incident Command System (ICS), Emergency Operations Center (EOC) structures, and Multiagency Coordination Groups (MAC Groups) that guide how personnel work together during incidents. NIMS applies to all incidents, from traffic accidents to major disasters.

ICS = Incident Command System, which is a set of standards for dealing with... incidents. It establishes common terminology and (to some extent) organizations. It grew out of CalFire, when it was realized that acres were being burnt while different jurisdictions dealt with the fact that they each used different terminology and procedures. "And FEMA saw it and Lo! it was good." I make a joke, and people will probably laugh at me for saying it, but a Type 1 "X" resource is a Type 1 "X" resource anywhere in the county; a Strike Team is a Strike team is a Strike Team, you just have to specify what type of strike team.

ICS is part of NIMS.

Bored and/or overwhelmed yet?

All related training can be found on the Emergency Management Institute's website. That includes the Independent Study courses, which are online and about as useful as online classes usually are, as well as classroom instruction.

Here is a link to the Emergency Management Institute's Course Schedules, searchable by state.

It includes classes that are taught on campus at the various FEMA training venues -- many of which are probably being postponed as responders get issued buckets to go bail out the Carolinas -- and others taught locally to you, sponsored by state or local emergency management departments. Many of these classes are actually taught by contractors who may teach at a university; I took a class last December that was conducted by contractors from Texas A&M, which apparently has a large Engineering Extension which specializes in emergency management. (Fun fact: College Station is the site of "Disaster City", which may be the most subtle Aggie Joke ever.)

IS, or Independent Study courses, are online learning, and also fall under the EMI. Like any online learning, there's a strong tendency for them to be check-the-block; doing a lot of them is either simply qualifying for more advanced classroom study, or resume padding. A well-padded transcript of IS courses may be seen as proof of dedication, or of interest, or of having nothing better to do, or of masochism.

Or maybe a combination; I'm regarded as a wierdo for actually having taken leave to take IS300. I'm supposed to be revising The Salt Mines' emergency plans, and every time I start trying to talk to my manager about it e starts wailing and moaning about how hard it is to understand any of this, and change the subject.

[Peally]

I knew all of it had to fit together somehow, good info!

[TGS]

CERT might be a good start for you or even a perfect fit, but check out FEMA's Center for Domestic Preparedness and the associated Consortium. Most (all?) of the residential courses they offer are superlative quality, but I don't know if CERT members are eligible to attend any. They're free to attend using grants from DHS....students even get paid per diem, a hotel, and get a free rental car all as if you were a federal employee attending training. All you have to do is find a course you want to do and sign up.

Thus, I echo another member's suggestion to become a volunteer FF or EMT....you can get into some REALLY fun shit. Live VX training, all sorts of advanced HAZMAT/CBRNE, some explosives courses.

One of my duties last year was representing my agency as the deputy coordinator for life safety and evacuations at the biggest annual NSSE, and I remembered the CDP and some training I had done with them in Socorro. I didn't have time to do a residential course, but I found one of their mobile training teams giving a 2 day special events evacuations course at a county fireground not too far from me. I attended and my boss came as well, and the course was filled with NYPD CT Bureau, local OEM people, and athletic directors/facility managers from several professional and college league sports teams/facilities. It was a useful course and well delivered through the TEEX component of CDP, and I definitely learned some things and applied some lessons to the job. The instructors weren't as incredible as the EMRTC Socorro contingent, but it was definitely a good class.

So, if you check out CDPs mobile training offerings you'll probably find a good balance of interesting/applicable stuff you might be eligible for at a higher learning quality than FEMAs online classes....unless you go volunteer FF or EMT, which will get you into some REALLY excellent training if you simply search for the opportunities (which it already seems you're trying, which is fucking awesome).

When you get signed up with the CERT, add yourself to the mailing list for the DHS Regional Training Coordinator who covers your region, unless your CERT already forwards these to your whole team. Shit, if they don't, you've already found a niche for yourself: you could be the CERT training coordinator, and liase (make friends) with others agencies to find training opportunities for you and your people.

Disclaimer: I've taken awareness, performance, and management level courses from the Consortium and am certified to teach awareness level classes from them, so I might be a bit biased......though I've never met someone who didn't rave about the courses they took.