NIMS Courses in Washington

What is NIMS in Relation to ICS?

NIMS courses in Washington State

As a crucial part of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) established by FEMA, the Incident Command System (ICS) is used by a wide variety of public agencies because it offers a standardized approach to dealing with emergencies. ICS helps these organizations address emergencies and disruptions, reduce the negative effects, or prevent them entirely, and be better equipped to meet the demands of any given situation.

Part of the reason why ICS is so effective is that it uses a military-like structure that takes precedence over the structure of any other agency that responds to an emergency, keeping all parties on the same page and focused on the same things. ICS also represents the best practices for emergency management, which is why they’ve become standardized across America.

ICS structure is very rigid and includes a lot of different positions, titles, responsibilities, and terminology that can be confusing at first, but NIMS training courses do a good job of explaining it all and preparing people to be effective emergency responders. In order to become certified, individuals must complete several NIMS courses and display proficiency in NIMS exercises.

 

Why is NIMS Important for Washington?

It may be surprising to hear, but Washington is regarded as one of the more natural disaster-prone states in the US. The eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980 is an obvious example, but the state also experiences floods, wildfires, mudslides, landslides, earthquakes, and severe storms. The Evergreen State totaled the fourth-most federally declared natural disasters of all US states, according to FEMA. This underscores the importance of taking NIMS courses for people interested in mitigating the effects of these disasters in their home state.

 

What do NIMS Courses in Washington Entail?

NIMS courses train emergency response personnel, ensuring they have a thorough understanding of all NIMS curriculum concepts, including job titles and the responsibilities each comes with.

These NIMS training courses also teach common practices for planning an emergency response, managing resources during an emergency, and how personnel, equipment, facilities, communications, and procedures should all be integrated into a standard organizational structure.

 

What are NIMS Exercises for Washingtonians Like?

NIMS exercises can include workshops, seminars, drills, games, functional exercises, and full-scale exercises. Each serves to reinforce the standardized guidance, methodology, policy, and language taught in NIMS courses.

Interested in taking online NIMS training courses?

Fill out a form or call us to learn more about courses we offer for residents of Washington!

       NIMS Courses in Washington