Many ARES/RACES organizations have or are adopting the Incident Command System. ICS was created by firefighters as a management tool for large scale fires involving resources and people from different cities. These techniques have evolved into SEMS (Standardized Emergency Management System) and NIMS (National Incident Management System) for large disasters or planned events involving different agencies.
ICS can be used for planned events as well. Many amateur radio organizations encourage use of ICS for functions such as Field Day to gain practical experience. Some cities require amateur radio operators to have IS700 (National Incident Management System) certification in order to participate in city-activated RACES events (which also includes drills).
A number of online courses and training certification are available from FEMA. Selected sites are listed below.
Typical courses for amateur radio operators are IS100, IS200, and IS700. IS800 is additional, other courses are more discipline specific. Also refer to “Accelerated Basic Emergency Management Courses” as recommended information on completing the ICS courses.
Following are links to FEMA sites.
IS-100 Introduction to Incident Command System
IS-800.B National Response Framework, An Introduction
Also see NIMS Download Center at http://www.nimsonline.com
ICS Forms
| ICS Form 201, | Incident Briefing | (PDF) | (MS Word) |
| ICS Form 202, | Incident Objectives | (PDF) | (MS Word) |
| ICS Form 204, | Assignment List | (PDF) | (MS Word) |
| ICS Form 205, | Incident Radio Communications Plan | (PDF) | (MS Word) |
| ICS Form 211, | Check-In List | (PDF) | (MS Word) |
| ICS Form 213, | General Message Form | (PDF) | (MS Word) |
| ICS Form 214, | Unit Log | (PDF) | (MS Word) |
| ICS Form 216, | Radio Requirements Worksheet | (PDF) | (MS Word) |
| ICS Form 221, | Demobilization Plan | (PDF) | (MS Word) |