April 12, 2005 *  NA: 006-05
The NIMS Integration Center, DHS/FEMA 
NIMS-Integration-Center@dhs.gov
202-646-3850

NIMS Alert


NIMS COMPLIANT ICS TRAINING GUIDELINES NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

WASHINGTON - The NIMS Integration Center has developed guidelines for ICS training providers that  
will help them ensure that the training they offer meets the requirements of the National Incident Management 
System (NIMS). Since one of the first steps for becoming compliant with NIMS is institutionalizing the use of 
ICS across the response system, ICS training must be consistent with the concepts, principles and 
characteristics of the NIMS ICS training offered by DHS training entities along with that of the National 
Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG). 

The NIMS National Standard Curriculum: Training Development Guidance outlines the system's ICS 
concepts and principles, management characteristics, organizations and operations, organizational element 
titles and recommendations for a model curriculum. It also provides an evaluation checklist for content that 
may be used to make sure that ICS training meets the "as taught by DHS" standard. The guidance document 
is available for download from the NIMS Homepage at www.fema.gov/nims.

The model NIMS ICS curriculum organizes four levels of training - ICS-100, Introduction to ICS; ICS-200, 
Basic ICS; ICS-300, Intermediate ICS; and ICS-400, Advanced ICS. ICS training provided by the Emergency 
Management Institute, the National Fire Academy, the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard follow this 
model.

According to the NIMS Integration Center emergency management and response personnel already ICS 
trained do not need retraining if their previous training is consistent with the DHS standard. This would 
include courses managed, administered or delivered by the Emergency Management Institute, the National 
Fire Academy, NWCG, USDA, EPA or the U.S. Coast Guard, the NIMS Center said.

For more information about NIMS ICS e-mail the NIMS-Integration-Center@dhs.gov, or call 202-646-3850.
  

The NIMS Integration Center
April 12, 2005