ICS Exercises and Training Courses in Texas

What is ICS?

ICS stands for Incident Command System, and it is part of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) established by FEMA. It is used by a variety of public agencies to manage emergencies or disruptions, mitigate the effects, and generally meet the demands of the situation at hand.

ICS employs a very structured military-style that supersedes that of any other agencies that respond to an event, and it represents the best practices for emergency management that have become standard across the United States.

The standardized structure includes various position titles, responsibilities, and specific terminology. This rigid structure means individuals must complete several different ICS courses and display proficiency in ICS exercises to be certified.

 

Why is ICS Important for Texas?

Texas is consistently ranked among states with the most natural disasters. Flooding, wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, sinkholes, and hail storms all occur in Texas, and the state has had a total of 86 major disaster declarations since 1953, according to NBC News. On average, that’s more than one major disaster every year. In addition to the high number of disasters, Texas is also the second-largest state, making it important to have emergency response structures in place when an emergency may be hundreds of miles away.

 

What do ICS Courses in Texas Entail?

ICS courses train emergency response personnel to ensure they understand all concepts of the NIMS core curriculum.

ICS courses also teach the common practices for planning and managing resources during an emergency, how facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communications are integrated into a common organizational structure, what the job titles refer to, and what responsibilities come with each.

 

What are ICS Exercises for Texans Like?

ICS exercises include seminars, workshops, games, drills, functional exercises, and full-scale exercises. These exercises reinforce the standardized policy, guidance, methodology, and language taught in ICS courses.

Interested in taking ICS online classes?

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