No One Left Behind...Is that a good policy for ICS credentialing?

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Permalink Reply by Patrick Harper on March 15, 2008 at 10:10pm

We've had a "blitz attack" of NIMS training in here to meet Federal requirements. Quite frankly, other than a few of the exceptions, I don't think that any of the instructors were qualified to teach the courses. It's simply classes to meet quotas. Many of the firefighters returning from the classes have sat down with me to discuss what they learned and were either more confused than before they took the class or were so off base with what they were taught that they were defeating the whole NIMS idea.

We are missing the whole point of NIMS

Permalink Reply by Sunshine Lemme on March 17, 2008 at 8:31pm

We are missing the whole point of NIMS

Unfortunate but very true. I feel like I'm the only one in the department that even knows what NIMS is attempting to do, and that only because I am also an Emergency Manager, and come from that perspective. Even the county academy that actually trains "NIMS/ICS" doesn't understand the FEMA numbering system, so the department has me down for completing 2 courses with different numbers, which are really the same course.
IS-700 (NIMS Awareness) trains people to pass the test so the organization can call itself 'NIMS Compliant'. Well, 90% of those that passed the test can't name one of the major elements, and most would misidentify ICS as one. The EM and responder communities need to communicate the importance of the whole package, especially the credentialing of the responders, and the typing of their equipment. These elements directly effect firefighters, rescue, HazMat, EMS, police, etc., but those most effected really don't know about it, and nobody cares outside the EM community.
As for everyone passing ICS, the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) listserve had a discussion last week about the poor preparation done in the online ICS-200 classes, as reported by the ICS-300 instructors. Hey, if you only need to get your ticket punched, it can be done pretty easy online. Of course, some students have their eyes on the prize of conducting ICS managed operations, and do fine, so the ICS-300 classes are caught between boring those who want to use the tool and those who need it to be chief. Instructors feel they fail when their students fail, and there are some of them who really don't care if the students ever use the ICS. But from what I hear from the IAEM listserve, the dedicated instructors remediate as best they can and try to motivate the classes to actually use the ICS and the NIMS in their work. Each year the bar is moved up, but most departments don't notice, and won't until the funds disappear.
If you are interested in the IAEM listserve, it is open to all at http://www.iaem.com/listserve/listagreement.htm
it's a great resource with early information about all kinds of EM training, answers to questions, etc.