This course introduces resource management as described in the National Incident Management System (NIMS), and shows how systems for managing resources can be used to improve incident response.

The course includes examples of best practices, lessons learned, and job aids to assist the participant in planning for resource management. Descriptions and details about the other NIMS-related courses may be found on the FEMA EMI Web site: https://training.fema.gov/is/.  

Course Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course, you should be able to:

• Define the four resource management tasks conducted in preparation for incident response.
• Identify the six primary tasks of resource management during an incident.
• Describe the use of mutual aid in incidents.

This course is divided into the following units:

• Unit 1: Resource Management Overview
• Unit 2: Resource Management Planning
• Unit 3: Resource Typing, Personnel Qualification, and Readiness
• Unit 4: Resource Management During Incidents
• Unit 5: Resource Management and Complex Incidents
• Unit 6: Course Summary and Final Exam

This lesson will introduce the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and NIMS resource management.

HSPD-5, Management of Domestic Incidents, identified steps for improved coordination in response to incidents. It required the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to coordinate with other Federal departments and agencies and State, local, and tribal governments to establish a National Response Framework (NRF) and a National Incident Management System (NIMS).

HSPD-8, National Preparedness, directed DHS to lead a national initiative to develop a National Preparedness System—a common, unified approach to “strengthen the preparedness of the United States to prevent and respond to threatened or actual domestic terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies.” Click on this link to view HSPD-8.

Presidential Policy Directive 8 (PPD-8), National Preparedness, describes the Nation's approach to preparedness-one that involves the whole community, including individuals, businesses, community- and faith-based organizations, schools, tribes, and all levels of government (Federal, State, local, tribal and territorial). Click on this link to view PPD-8.

NIMS guides all levels of government, nongovernmental organizations (NGO), and the private sector to work together to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from incidents. NIMS provides stakeholders across the whole community with the shared vocabulary, systems, and processes to successfully deliver the capabilities described in the National Preparedness System. NIMS defines operational systems that guide how personnel work together during incidents. NIMS applies to all incidents, from traffic accidents to major disasters.

The NRF is a guide to how the Nation responds to all types of disasters and emergencies. It is built on scalable, flexible, and adaptable concepts identified in NIMS to align key roles and responsibilities across the Nation. The NRF describes specific authorities and best practices for managing incidents that range from the serious but purely local to those that are catastrophic and national in scope.

Jurisdictions and organizations involved in the management of incidents vary in their authorities, management structures, communication capabilities and protocols, and many other factors.

The major components of NIMS provide a common framework to integrate these diverse capabilities and achieve common goals.

Resource Management

Command and Coordination

Communications and Information Management

The application of all three components is vital to successful NIMS implementation.

Click this link to access all information presented.

This lesson introduced you to NIMS and NIMS Resource Management. In the next lesson, you will learn how jurisdictions work together in advance of an incident to develop plans to:

• Identify resource needs based on the threats to and vulnerabilities of the jurisdiction.
• Develop alternative strategies to obtain the needed resources.
• Align policies, procedures, and protocols to ensure effective resource management.

Any jurisdiction’s or agency's emergency management activities should be based on a thorough planning process, which is documented in its Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).

Jurisdiction and agency planning processes should include identifying resource needs based on the threats to and vulnerabilities of the jurisdiction and developing alternative strategies to obtain the needed resources.

This lesson will focus on the relationship between planning and resource management.

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

• Describe the relationship of the jurisdiction’s advance planning to resource requirements.
• Identify sources for emergency resources, including public, private, and nongovernmental organizations.
• Describe the mechanisms for ensuring that resources are available during incidents.
• Describe the relationships among various entities regarding resource management, and the enabling mechanisms that provide for seamless integration.

The planning process includes identifying resource requirements based on the threats to, and vulnerabilities of, the jurisdiction or organization. Planning also includes developing alternative strategies to obtain needed resources. Resource management personnel should consider resources necessary to support all mission areas (Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery).

There are a number of methodologies that can be used for identifying your risks, but all methodologies should:

• Identify possible kinds of incidents and their related threats, risks, or consequences. (What might happen?)
• Quantify the likelihood of an occurrence of any given incident. (How likely is it to happen?)
• Assess the most likely magnitude of any given incident. (How bad is it likely to be?)
• Assess the percent of the population at risk from any given incident. (How many people might be injured or killed?)
• Assess the severity of impact or likely consequences of any given incident. (How much damage is there likely to be?)

This analysis will result in a picture of the most likely incidents and their potential consequences. Understanding what you are preparing to respond to will help you to identify the resources that are required.

The first step in establishing resource needs is to consider the  anticipated threats and vulnerabilities and their potential consequences for your jurisdiction.

In identifying threats and vulnerabilities, it is important to consider the cascading events or related emergencies that may follow an incident. For example, an earthquake may cause:

• Building and bridge collapses
• Hazardous materials spills
• Utility outages

Your jurisdiction’s Emergency Operations Plan should include hazard analysis information.

After analyzing the threats and vulnerabilities, next determine what resources are needed to manage the identified incidents. Resources address the potential consequences of anticipated threats and vulnerabilities. Some resources will be specific to only one threat or vulnerability; others may be useful for multiple threats or vulnerabilities.

Example: Urban Search and Rescue resources would likely only be needed for building collapses following a hurricane, but resources associated with traffic control would be needed to assist with debris removal, security, and damage to bridges and roads.

Identifying resource requirements for a threat or vulnerability that you have not experienced can be difficult.

For example, prior to the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City emergency managers had not considered the need for resources that could dispose of large quantities of bio-hazard waste.

Another example of a frequently overlooked or underestimated resource requirement is the needs associated with populations that are not fluent in the English language. In an incident there will be distinct resource requirements related to these populations.

Researching infrequent or unfamiliar incidents can be useful. Consider reviewing case histories and incident after action reviews or interviewing managers of similar incidents to gain information.

Resources you identify fall into five general groupings:

• Personnel: Includes Incident Command System "overhead" or management staff, technical specialists, Emergency Operations Center staff, operations staff, etc.
• Teams: Refers to groups of specially trained and equipped personnel, including needed equipment and supplies.
• Facilities: Includes office space, shelters, warehouses, etc.
• Equipment: Refers to pieces of equipment, with or without the personnel needed to operate them.
• Supplies: Can span an enormous range from potable water to plywood. It is impossible to develop and maintain complete lists. A more efficient way to plan is to develop and maintain a current list of suppliers with comprehensive inventories.

Thinking ahead about the appropriate configuration and capabilities of emergency resources can ensure that incidents receive the right resource for the job.

• Resource typing is defining and categorizing incident resources by capability.
• Resource typing definitions establish a common language for discussing resources by defining minimum capabilities for personnel, teams, facilities, equipment, and supplies.
• Resource typing enables communities to plan for, request, and have confidence that the resources they receive have the capabilities they requested.

The next lesson presents additional information on resource typing.

The first source to consider is the current capability and inventory of your own agency or jurisdiction. During an incident, you will normally exhaust your own resources before you approach the next level of government for assistance. Consider:

• What resources are already owned by your agency, and are they suitable for use in emergencies?
• What supplies does your agency usually warehouse?
• What training and experience do your agency personnel have?

Analysis of personnel should include not only their job-related training, skills, and experience, but can include relevant additional experience, hobbies, or part-time job skills.

Mutual aid involves sharing resources and services between jurisdictions or organizations. Mutual aid occurs routinely to meet the resource needs identified by the requesting organization.

This assistance can include the daily dispatch of law enforcement, emergency medical services (EMS), and fire service resources between local communities, as well as the movement of resources within a state or across state lines when larger-scale incidents occur. Mutual aid can provide essential assistance to fill mission needs.

Mutual aid agreements and compacts establish the legal basis for two or more entities to share resources. They exist among and between all levels of government. These agreements support effective and efficient resource management.

Click on this link for additional information on mutual aid agreements and assistance agreements.

EMAC is a congressionally ratified mutual aid compact that defines a non-Federal, state-to-state system for sharing resources across state lines during an emergency or disaster.

Signatories include all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

EMAC’s unique relationships with states, regions, territories, and Federal organizations, such as FEMA and the National Guard Bureau, enable it to move a wide variety of resources to meet the jurisdictions’ needs.

Click here to read more about EMAC (www.emacweb.org).

Both local and State emergency managers have experience with mutual aid agreements and compacts. Here, State and local emergency managers talk about best practices using mutual aid and assistance agreements.

Click on the audio or transcript buttons to access lessons learned.

Public-sector emergency managers should have a good idea of resources available at all levels of government, their capabilities and support needs, and response times.

Consider that resource availability is not guaranteed. Planners should verify that multiple jurisdictions are not relying on the same resources. Some resources may be utilized elsewhere. For example, members of the National Guard may not be available as incident resources if they have been deployed overseas or are already being utilized elsewhere.

You should assume that resources outside the incident area (State and Federal resources) will take additional time to arrive. It should also be reinforced that all resource requests to other levels of government must follow the established request procedures.

Many volunteer nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) play major roles in emergency response. Commonly referred to as Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters, or VOAD, the number and degree of formal organizations vary from State to State.

Knowing what volunteer agencies are active in your area, what resources they can provide, and how to effectively activate and incorporate these resources is critical to your resource analysis process. It is helpful to include these organizations in your planning process.

Some jurisdictions have VOAD Councils designed to coordinate with each other and with public-sector entities. Such councils can be an extremely useful tool in both the planning and the activation processes, especially if resource requests can be forwarded to the council for resolution.

Failure to include voluntary organizations in your planning and exercises can result in duplication of effort or resource shortfalls.

A management challenge is that some may show up as "spontaneous volunteer organizations" and may not understand the need to check in with either the Incident Commander or the Emergency Operations Center. This can result in:

• Failure to integrate VOAD resources into formal response, leading to loss of accountability.
• Potential safety issues.
• Public relations problems.
• Lack of confidence in the jurisdiction's entire emergency management ability to respond to an incident.

Private-sector organizations play a key role before, during, and after an incident. First, they must provide for the welfare and protection of their employees in the workplace. In addition, emergency managers must work seamlessly with businesses that provide water, power, communication networks, transportation, medical care, security, and numerous other services upon which both response and recovery are particularly dependent.

During an incident, key private-sector partners should be involved in the local crisis decision-making process, or at least have a direct link to key local emergency managers. Communities cannot effectively respond to or recover from incidents without strong cooperative relations with the private sector.

Click on this link to access additional information on roles of the private sector.

Essential private-sector responsibilities include:

• Planning for the protection of employees, infrastructure, and facilities.
• Planning for the protection of information and the continuity of business operations.
• Planning for responding to and recovering from incidents that impact their own infrastructure and facilities.
• Collaborating with emergency management personnel before an incident occurs to ascertain what assistance may be necessary and how they can help.
• Developing and exercising emergency plans before an incident occurs.
• Where appropriate, establishing mutual aid agreements and assistance agreements to provide specific response capabilities.
• Providing assistance (including volunteers) to support local emergency management and public awareness during response and throughout the recovery process.

During incidents, private-sector sources frequently wish to contribute goods and services free or at a reduced cost.

However, it is also important to have a procedure in place that clearly defines and documents the conditions under which goods and services are being offered. It is not unusual for jurisdictions to be billed at a later date for resources that were offered "free" in the initial response to the emergency. Making certain that the circumstances are clear helps ensure that donors are recognized for being good neighbors, and that there are no misunderstandings later.

Unsolicited donations are a specific concern that we cover briefly next. We will also discuss unsolicited donations later in this course.

No single jurisdiction has all required resources to respond to a catastrophic disaster. Mutual aid resources are a primary asset during a major emergency, and most jurisdictions have formal mutual aid agreements that support their needs. If not planned and coordinated, private-sector and donor assistance may not be effectively incorporated into the system, and could become a liability rather than an asset.

Click on the audio or transcript buttons to access lessons learned.

Resource management procedures and protocols should detail the specific actions to implement a plan or system. Emergency management/response organizations should develop procedures and protocols that translate into specific, action-oriented checklists for use during incident response operations.

You may want to make sure that your procedures address the following resource management questions:

• How do you get that resource in the middle of the night on a weekend when the owner/supervisor is out of town?
• Do you have access to the necessary phone numbers and addresses?
• Will you have to pay for this resource? If so, what is the rate? Are there additional costs associated with emergency use or after-hours activation?
• Is purchasing authority delegated to the appropriate personnel in sufficient amounts to meet emergency needs?
• What emergency declarations or legal frameworks must be activated or invoked?
• How will the resource gain access to the incident scene?

Effective resource management includes:

• Systems: Management information systems collect, update, and process resource data and track the status and location of resources. It is critical to have redundant information systems or backup systems to manage resources in the event that the primary system is disrupted or unavailable.

• Protocols: Preparedness organizations develop standard protocols to request resources, prioritize requests, activate and mobilize resources to incidents, and return resources to normal status.

Effective resource management includes establishing resource acquisition procedures. It is important to consider the tradeoffs (e.g., shelf life, warehousing costs) and determine the optimal acquisition strategies, including:

• Acquiring critical resources in advance and storing them in a warehouse (i.e., “stockpiling”).
• Supplying resources “just in time,” typically using a pre-established contract.

Planning for acquisition, storage and inventorying of resources should accommodate both resource acquisition strategies.

An important part of the process is managing inventories with shelf-life or special maintenance considerations. Strict reliance on stockpiling raises issues concerning shelf life and durability; however, strict reliance on “just in time” resources raises its own concerns related to timely delivery.

Assets that are counted on for "just in time" need to be accurately accounted for to ensure that multiple jurisdictions or private-sector organizations are not relying solely on the same response asset, which can lead to shortages during a response. Those with resource management responsibilities should build sufficient funding into their budgets for periodic replenishment, preventive maintenance, and capital improvements. An integral part of acquisition procedures is developing methods and protocols for the handling and distribution of donated resources.

Most jurisdictions limit purchasing authority to specific people and specific limits. While administrative rules addressing financial issues may work fine in the 40-hour/daylight-only workweek, it may not serve the organization well in an off-hour emergency. Stories abound of responders forced to purchase supplies with personal credit cards because official fiscal support was not available.

Each organization should:

• Determine who, at what level in the organization, has what amount of purchasing authority.
• Ensure that appropriate financial controls are observed at all levels.
• Ensure that appropriate training and refresher training on jurisdiction purchasing and documentation procedures is completed.

Planning efforts must consider procedures to manage the issues related to incident scene access. Convergence and self-dispatching represent a significant threat to scene safety and resource management. Your plans should include:

• A method for identifying authorized personnel from other jurisdictions, volunteer organizations, or commercial vendors.
• Procedures for clearing the incident scene of spectators, unauthorized volunteers, and survivors.
• Methods for securing the cleared scene and limiting access points.

Personnel qualifications, certification, and credentialing will be discussed in the Resource Typing lesson.

You may want to have your legal counsel review your organization's legal foundations for resource management as well as your resource management plan and/or annex to the Emergency Operations Plan. For example:

• Goods and services frequently make a major leap in price following an incident. Many jurisdictions have put in place ordinances to prevent price gouging.
• Contracting procedures, such as the amount of time contracts must be advertised, may need to be suspended following an incident.

Emergency purchasing authority may need to be delegated to Incident Commanders, department heads, Logistics Section Chiefs, or emergency managers.

Click on this link to view a sample resolution to contract during a special emergency.

Click on this link to view an example of emergency purchasing authority.

Additional legal questions to consider include:

• Does the jurisdiction have authority under specific circumstances (such as lifesaving) to make use of personal property?
• Are liability measures in place to protect both your jurisdiction and volunteers and their organizations?
• Does your organization have an incident contingency fund? Who can access it, and under what conditions?
• Do you have sufficient intergovernmental agreements in place to provide and receive mutual aid?

After you have determined what you need, where you can find it, and how to procure it, the information needs to be organized, made accessible to those who need it, and maintained. Most organizations develop their own versions of "the yellow pages," including the type of resource, its owner, location, and procurement procedures.

Accessibility is also an issue. The most detailed inventory in the world is useless if staff can't access it. Inventories should be available in different formats stored at different locations. If the primary inventory is electronic, it may be advisable to have paper copies available for key Logistics and Finance/Administration workers, dispatchers, and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) staff.

Maintaining such resource inventories is time-consuming work. It takes time and attention to detail to make sure all information is up to date, but there are few things more frustrating than discovering you do not have an after-hours contact for hardware stores when you need plywood at 3:00 in the morning.

Most organizations update on an annual or semiannual basis. There is software available that will email your contacts and ask for updates automatically.

Inventory systems for resource management should be adaptable and scalable and should account for the potential of double-counting personnel and/or equipment. In particular, resource summaries should clearly reflect any overlap of personnel across different resource pools. Personnel inventories should reflect single resources with multiple skills, taking care not to overstate the total resources.

For example, many firefighters also have credentials as emergency medical technicians (EMTs). A resource summary, then, could count a firefighter as a firefighter or as an EMT, but not as both. The total should reflect the number of available personnel, not simply the sum of the firefighter and EMT counts.

FEMA provides a "no cost" resource inventory tool. The Incident Resource Inventory System (IRIS) features the capability for users to inventory resources and share resource information with other agencies. Furthermore, users are able to define non-typed resources and select specific resources for mutual aid purposes based upon mission requirements, the capability and availability of resources, and desired response times.

Select this link to learn more about the Incident Resource Inventory System.

It is critically important to think through the relationships between and among the various command and coordination entities that are likely to be activated during an incident. Included in this analysis should be:

• ICS organization on incident.
• Dispatch organizations.
• Mutual aid cooperators.
• Unified Command.
• Area Command.
• Emergency service districts or other special mission governmental entities.
• Local, county, regional, tribal, and State EOCs.
• MAC Groups, VOAD Councils, State Emergency Boards, etc.
• FEMA Regional Response Coordination Centers (RRCCs).
• Joint Field Offices (JFOs).
• Joint Information Centers (JICs).

A solution that works in one jurisdiction might be inappropriate (or illegal) in another.

Dispatch centers or offices and agency ordering points manage resources on a day-to-day basis. Therefore, it is important to establish procedures that allow those who are unfamiliar with resource management procedures to integrate smoothly into these administrative structures during the stress and uncertainty inherent in an incident.

It is important that planners consider carefully the relationships among these structures as they relate to resource management.

In this lesson, you learned that the resource management planning process:

• Should include identifying resource needs based on the threats to and vulnerabilities of the jurisdiction and developing alternative strategies to obtain the needed resources.
• May include the creation of new policies to encourage positioning of resources near the expected incident site in response to anticipated resource needs.
• Should identify conditions or circumstances that may trigger a specific reaction, such as the restocking of supplies when inventories reach a predetermined minimum.

The next lesson focuses on ensuring interoperability and compatibility of resources though typing, training, and exercising.

Resources (personnel, teams, facilities, equipment, and supplies) must be prepared to meet incident needs. Utilization of standardized resource management concepts such as resource typing, personnel credentialing, training, and exercising facilitates the efficient and effective deployment of resources.

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

• Define resource typing and describe its purpose.
• Describe qualification, certification and credentialing of personnel.
• Identify the importance of training and exercising resource capabilities prior to an incident.

In the last lesson we discussed identifying, planning for and acquiring, storing and inventorying resources. In this lesson we will examine two additional resource management preparedness activities:

• Typing Resources: Assigning a standardized typing designation to each resource that allows Incident Commanders to request and deploy resources.
• Qualifying, Certifying and Credentialing Personnel: Ensuring personnel meet common standards that provide a foundation for mutual aid requests.

Additionally, in this lesson we will explore Training and Exercising as methods to support readiness, interoperability and compatibility of resources.

The next screen introduces resource typing.

Emergencies occur throughout America every day. Emergency response involves a wide range of resources: people, equipment, and tools. But what resources are required to meet incident needs? How does the Incident Command know what to ask for? And how do resource managers know that they are fulfilling the request accurately?

The answer to all of these questions is by categorizing resources by capability and performance levels—resource typing.

Resource typing is a continuous process that facilitates accuracy in requesting and obtaining needed resources. Measurable definitions identifying the capabilities and performance levels for resources serve as the basis for resource typing.

Resource typing enhances emergency preparedness, response, and recovery by using consistent definitions that allow Incident Commanders to request and deploy the resources they need, and emergency management personnel to identify, locate, request, order, and track outside resources quickly and effectively.

Resource typing is the categorization, by capability, of the resources requested, deployed, and used in incidents. Measurable definitions identifying the characteristics and capabilities for resources serve as the basis for typing.

• Capability: The core capability for which the resource is most useful

• Category: The function for which a resource would be most useful (e.g., firefighting, law enforcement, health and medical)

• Kind: A broad characterization, such as personnel, teams, facilities, equipment and supplies

• Type: A resource’s level of minimum capability to perform its function

Resource typing is a continuous process designed to be as simple as possible to facilitate frequent use and accuracy in obtaining needed resources. For example, a construction dump truck and a dump truck with a snow plow have different capabilities, capacities, and purposes. They would, therefore, be of different types.

The FEMA National Preparedness Directorate (NPD) has identified, promoted, and published resource typing definitions for the most commonly requested interstate resources. Resource typing definitions provide information to emergency managers and response personnel to ensure that they request and receive the appropriate resources.

For example, resource typing definitions help ensure that generators used for pumping water are not sent to fill a request for generators that provide electricity to buildings.

NIMS encourages all Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ); federal, state, local, tribal, territorial and insular areas, to use the national resource typing definitions to define their response assets.

Jurisdictions can identify and inventory deployable incident resources consistently with national NIMS resource typing definitions and job titles/position qualifications, available through the Resource Typing Library Tool.

At the national level, FEMA leads the development and maintenance of NIMS resource typing definitions that are national in scope.

States should inventory their assets to determine if national resource types are in the State. If they are, the State should maintain an inventory of these national resource types for use in the event of an incident. States that do not have any national resource types in their inventories are not required to purchase them.

Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces are an example of a resource that is national in scope and should be inventoried.

These NIMS resource typing definitions can serve as a useful guide for States when developing their own definitions for resource types that are not included in the NIMS resource typing definitions.

State, territorial, tribal and local governments should also type and inventory their assets that are not national in scope.

Typing and inventorying these resources makes resource sharing under mutual aid agreements and compacts more efficient.

Fork lifts are an example of a resource that is not national in scope and does not have a NIMS resource typing definition in the Resource Typing Library Tool. 

Additional information for Typing Resources is available on the FEMA Resource Management and Mutual Aid Website. (https://www.fema.gov/resource-management-mutual-aid)

Resources are categorized by resource type definition. Emergency management and Response personnel can use these definitions to inventory their resources.

NIMS resource type definitions use the resource characteristics Capability, Category, Kind and Type.  

Capability is the core capability for which the resource is most useful (32 core capabilities are outlined in the National Preparedness Goal).

Category is the function for which a resource would be most useful (firefighting, law enforcement, medical, etc...).

Kind is the broad classes that characterize like resources (personnel, teams, facilities, equipment and supplies).

Type is a resource's level of minimum capability to perform its function.

• A resource’s type is determined based on the kind of resource and mission. For example a mobile kitchen unit is typed according to the number of meals it can produce, while dump trucks are typed according to haul capacity. 
• The resource type includes capability level of 1-4. Type 1 is the highest capability and type 4 is the least.
• The level of capability is based on size, power, and capacity (for equipment) or experience and qualifications (for personnel or teams).

Click Ambulance Ground Team to view an example of Resource Typing Definition for Public Health, Healthcare, and Emergency Medical Services.

The NIMS Implementation Objectives reflect the concepts and principles contained in NIMS and aim to promote consistency in NIMS implementation across the Nation. As recipients and subrecipients of Federal preparedness (non-disaster) grant awards, jurisdictions and organizations must achieve, or be actively working to achieve, all of the NIMS Implementation Objectives.

The NIMS Implementation Objectives are organized by component of NIMS. For the Resource Management component there are four objectives:

• Identify and inventory deployable incident resources consistent with national NIMS resource typing definitions and job titles/position qualifications, available through the Resource Typing Library Tool. (https://www.fema.gov/resource-management-mutual-aid).
• Adopt NIMS terminology for the qualification, certification, and credentialing of incident personnel. (Developing or participating in a qualification, certification, and credentialing program that aligns with the National Qualification System (NQS) is recommended, but not required.)
• Use the NIMS Resource Management Process during incidents (identify requirements, order and acquire, mobilize, track, and report, demobilize, reimburse and restock).
• At the jurisdictional level, develop, maintain, and implement mutual aid agreements (to include agreements with the private sector and nongovernmental organizations).

The NIMS Implementation Objectives for Local, State, Tribal, and Territorial Jurisdictions and the NIMS Implementation Objectives for Federal Departments and Agencies can be found on the NIMS webpage. (https://www.fema.gov/implementation-guidance-and-reporting).

FEMA leads the development and maintenance of resource typing definitions for resources shared on a local, interstate, regional, or national scale. Resource typing benefits jurisdictions and organizations by:

• Ensuring minimum capabilities across shared resources
• Establishing a common language across jurisdictions and organizations
• Simplifying the process of ordering, and providing resources during response
• Enabling communities to plan for, request, and share resources confidently
• Facilitating mutual aid agreements using established resources and teams
• Providing a clear understanding of capabilities, allowing jurisdictions and organizations to easily identify gaps

Typing resources involves aligning a resource's capabilities to those in the NIMS resource typing definition. AHJs align their resources with NIMS resource typing definitions so they and their mutual aid partners have a shared understanding of the capabilities and functions of each resource and can quickly and accurately share resources when necessary.

A NIMS typed resource must meet or exceed all of the minimum criteria outlined in the resource typing definition. AHJs can identify a resource's type by comparing its capabilities with those described in the resource typing definition.

As described previously, the NPD is working with discipline-specific working groups to develop typing definitions that serve as the standard for Tier I resources across the country.

The development of typed resources supports the establishment of:

• Comprehensive, national mutual aid and assistance agreements.
• Resource management and tracking systems.

Through resource typing, disciplines examine their resources and identify the capabilities of a resource’s components (teams, equipment). Because resource typing provides information about resource capabilities, emergency managers and others know the capability required for a requested resource to respond efficiently and effectively.

For some resources, the NPD working groups had typing definitions to use as a starting point. In other cases, no typing definitions existed. In these cases, the experts on each working group examined common types of resources and developed definitions by category and capability.

Typing definitions include all of the information needed for State, tribal, and local jurisdictions to determine whether their resources meet the minimum capabilities for each typing level.

Click on this link to view an example of a typing definition.

Information Management Systems are used to:

• Collect, update, and process data
• Track resources
• Display their readiness status

These tools enhance information flow and provide real-time data in a fast-paced environment where different jurisdictions and functional agencies are managing different aspects of the incident life cycle and must coordinate their efforts. Examples include:

• Geographical information systems (GISs)
• Resource tracking systems
• Transportation tracking systems
• Inventory management systems such as IRIS
• Reporting systems

Two best practices for resource management preparedness are:

• Acquiring equipment that will perform to certain standards (as designated by organizations such as the National Fire Protection Association or National Institute of Standards and Technology), including the capability to be interoperable with equipment used by other jurisdictions or participating organizations.
• Developing a common understanding of the capabilities of distinct types of equipment, to allow for better planning before an incident and rapid scaling and flexibility in meeting the needs of an incident.

Click on the audio or transcript buttons to access lessons learned.

Click on this link to read more about the development of California’s Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS).

The NIMS Guiding Principle of Standardization is essential to interoperability.

No jurisdiction has all of the resources that could conceivably be needed during a major incident. Interoperable resources can be moved and assigned across jurisdictional boundaries. This expands the resource pool and increases the likelihood of an effective response.

Strategies to ensure interoperability include:

• Where national standards exist for connections, fittings, and hardware, these should be adopted by all jurisdictions.
• When possible, combine orders for standardized equipment.
• Where possible, make collective bulk orders to help ensure both best price and interoperability.

Interoperability may be a major issue with communications equipment.

Interoperability does not necessarily require matching hardware, but it must be compatible. 800 or 900 MHz systems may be proprietary, making communication with others who are not registered users on the system more difficult.

It is important to ensure that agencies share enough frequencies to provide communication during incidents. Many States have established statewide emergency frequencies that can be used for major mobilizations.

Some other issues with communications equipment are backup power and redundancy, as well as alternative communication methods for alert and warning systems.

Consideration should be given to coordinating standard operating procedures (SOPs) where they might affect how a resource can be deployed.

For example, law enforcement agencies have different policies and procedures on issues such as restrictions on the use of arrest authorities. Where possible, mutual aid partners should agree on such policies. When policies and procedures cannot be reconciled, it is important that mutual aid partners know the differences up front.

Short of actual incident activation, the final test of all planning activities is to assess whether or not equipment and systems work under simulated conditions.

Testing equipment and systems should be incorporated into training and comprehensive exercises.

Qualifying, certifying, and credentialing are the essential steps, led by an Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), that help ensure that personnel deploying through mutual aid agreements have the knowledge, experience, training, and capability to perform the duties of their assigned roles.

These steps help to ensure that personnel across the Nation are prepared to perform their incident responsibilities based on criteria that are standard nationwide.

Qualification is the process through which personnel meet the minimum established criteria—training, experience, physical and medical fitness, and capability—to fill specific positions.

Certification/Recertification is the recognition from the AHJ or a third party stating that an individual has met and continues to meet established criteria and is qualified for a specific position.

Credentialing occurs when an AHJ or third party provides documentation—typically an identification card or badge—that identifies personnel and authenticates and verifies their qualification for a particular position. While credentialing includes issuing credentials such as identification cards, it is separate from an incident-specific badging process, which includes identity verification, qualification, and deployment authorization.

Certain positions require third-party certification and/or credentialing from an accredited body such as a state licensure board for medical professionals.

While credentialing includes the issuing of identification cards or other credentials, it is separate and distinct from an incident-specific badging process.

Qualification has a training component. All incident personnel should receive the appropriate training to perform in their assigned incident roles. 

The term incident personnel includes all individuals who have roles in incident management or support, whether on scene, in an EOC, or participating in a MAC Group.

Not all training occurs in a classroom. The best approach to a training need will vary based on the skills and capabilities to be acquired and may include:

• Self-study or Web-based courses
• Classroom instruction
• Experience based training under a mentor during incidents or exercises
• Observing others perform a task by observing or "shadowing" experienced practitioners during incidents or exercises

The NIMS Training Program provides guidance for organizations and jurisdictions in the development of their training plans.

The Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) provides a set of guiding principles for exercise programs, as well as a common approach to exercise program management, design and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning.

HSEEP exercise and evaluation doctrine is flexible, adaptable, and is for use by stakeholders across the whole community and is applicable for exercises across all mission areas – prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery.

To learn more about HSEEP, select this link.

The exercise objectives provide a framework for scenario development, guide development of individual organizational objectives, and supply evaluation criteria. The objectives help you select from the following types of exercises:

Discussion-based exercises familiarize participants with current plans, policies, agreements, and procedures, or may be used to develop new plans, policies, agreements, and procedures.

Operations-based exercises validate plans, policies, agreements, and procedures; clarify roles and responsibilities; and identify resource gaps in an operational environment.

Discussion-based exercises include seminars, workshops, tabletop exercises, and games. These types of exercises are used:

• As a starting point in the building-block approach of escalating exercise complexity.
• To highlight existing plans, policies, interagency/interjurisdictional agreements, and procedures.
• As valuable tools for familiarizing agencies and personnel with current or expected capabilities of an entity.
• To focus on strategic, policy-oriented issues.

Click on this link to learn more about discussion-based exercises.

Operations-based exercises are:

• Used to validate the plans, policies, agreements, and procedures solidified in discussion-based exercises.
• Used to clarify roles and responsibilities, identify gaps in resources needed to implement plans and procedures, and improve individual and team performance.
• Characterized by actual reaction to simulated intelligence; response to emergency conditions; mobilization of apparatus, resources, and/or networks; and commitment of personnel, usually over an extended period of time.

The next part of this lesson addresses each type of operations-based exercise in more detail.

Operations-based exercises include:

• Drills
• Functional Exercises
• Full-Scale Exercises

Although the exercise types will vary significantly in terms of scope and scale, the same general framework can be applied when planning most of the exercise types.

When developing exercises, it is important to:

• Define the purpose of the exercise.
• Assemble the planning team.
• Develop the scenario.
• Develop exercise guidelines.
• Prepare exercise materials and evaluator guides.
• Complete post-exercise evaluation.

A post-exercise evaluation is completed following all exercises. Post-exercise evaluations include the following elements:

• Hot Wash
• Debrief
• After-Action Report (AAR)
• Improvement Plan

In this lesson, you learned that effective resource management requires:

• Resource typing
• Personnel qualification, certification and credentialing
• Training and exercising

Together these activities facilitate the efficient and effective deployment of resources.

Exercises can help identify best practices and shortcomings in plans, leading to continuous improvements.

The next lesson covers resource management during an incident.

This lesson discusses managing resources during an incident.

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

• Describe the activities and procedures to identify requirements, order and acquire, mobilize, track and report, demobilize, and reimburse and restock resources.
• Describe the resource management process for accounting for each resource from request to final demobilization.

During an incident, personnel continually identify, validate, and refine resource needs.

This process involves identifying:

• The type and quantity of resources needed.
• The location where resources should be sent.
• Who will receive and use the resources.

Resource availability and needs constantly change as an incident evolves.

Incident management personnel and their affiliated organizations should coordinate as closely and as early as possible, both in advance of and during incidents.

The first step in determining resource needs is a thorough assessment or “sizeup” of the current incident situation and future incident potential.

This assessment provides the foundation for the incident objectives, and without it, it is impossible to identify the full range of resources that will be needed.

The Incident Commander develops incident objectives—a statement of what is to be accomplished on the incident. Not all incident objectives have the same importance.

The National Response Framework defines the priorities of response are to:  

• Save lives: deal with immediate threats to the safety of the public and responders.
• Protect Property and the Environment: deal with issues of protecting public and private property or damage to the environment.
• Stabilize the Incident: contain the incident to keep it from expanding and objectives that control the incident to eliminate or mitigate the cause.
• Meet Basic Human Needs by Stabilizing Community Lifelines: the seven Community Lifelines represent the most basic services a community relies on, which when stable, enable all other activity within a community. Examples include safety, food, water, shelter and medical.

Using the priorities of response (save lives, protect property and the environment, stabilize the incident, and provide for basic human needs by stabilizing Community Lifelines) helps in prioritizing incident objectives. They can also be used to prioritize multiple incidents, with those incidents having significant life safety issues being given a higher priority than those with lesser or no life safety issues.

Incident objectives are not necessarily completed in sequence determined by priority. It may be necessary to complete an objective related to incident stabilization before a life safety objective can be completed.

Click on the audio or transcript buttons to access lessons learned from a dam incident.

The management by objectives focus of ICS is reinforced and implemented through the planning process.

Personnel managing the incident develop an Incident Action Plan (IAP) for each operational period. 

For resource management the IAP:

• Informs incident personnel of the incident objectives for the operational period
• Identifies the specific resources that will be applied and actions that will be taken during the operational period to achieve the objectives
• Shows how supervisory personnel and operational elements fit into the organization

Implementing the formal incident action planning process early in the incident, and maintaining the discipline imposed by it, helps the ICS organization attain its objectives.

The Operations Section Chief develops strategies and detailed tactics for accomplishing the incident objectives.

Resources are identified and assigned to execute each tactic - this is the basis for identifying tactical resource needs.

The Operational Planning Worksheet (ICS Form 215) is used to indicate the kind and type of resources needed to implement the recommended tactics to meet the incident objectives. This worksheet includes the number of resources on site, ordered, and needed.

Click on this link to learn more about the Operational Planning Worksheet.

There are other non-tactical incident resource needs that are not identified on the ICS 215. For example, the Logistics Section may identify a need for personnel to begin planning for demobilization. It is important to work with the Command and General Staff leaders to identify other, non-tactical resources that may be required to support the incident.

Just as tactics define tactical resource requirements, resource requirements drive organizational structure. The size and structure of the Incident Command organization will be determined largely based on the resources that the Incident Command will manage. 

As the number of resources managed increases, more supervisory personnel may be needed to maintain adequate span of control, and more support personnel may be added to ensure adequate planning and logistics.

It is important that the incident organization's ability to supervise and support additional resources is in place prior to requesting them.

Personnel and logistical support factors (e.g., equipping, transporting, feeding, providing medical care, etc.) must be considered in determining tactical operations. Lack of logistical support can mean the difference between success and failure.

Typically, incidents will have an initial commitment of resources assigned.

As incidents grow in size and/or complexity, more tactical resources may be required and the Incident Commander may augment existing resources with additional personnel and equipment.

Dispatch organizations service incidents on a first-come, first-served basis with the emergency response resources in the dispatch pool. In many jurisdictions dispatchers have the authority to activate mutual aid and assistance resources.

More formalized resource-ordering protocols and the use of a Multiagency Coordination (MAC) Group or policy group may be required when:

• The organization does not have the authority to request resources beyond the local mutual aid and assistance agreements.
• The dispatch workload increases to the point where additional resources are needed to coordinate resource allocations.
• It is necessary to prioritize limited resources among incidents.

Those responsible for managing resources, including public officials, should recognize that reaching around the official resource coordination process between the Incident Command and their supporting Emergency Operations Center creates serious problems.

In other words, even if you think it is helpful, never send resources to the scene that have not been requested through the established system.

Requests from outside the established system for ordering resources:

• Can put responders at risk
• Typically lead to inefficient use and/or lack of accounting of resources

The Incident Commander should communicate:

• Who within the organization may place an order with Logistics. This authority may be restricted to Section Chiefs and/or Command Staff, or may be delegated further down the chain of command.
• What resource requests require the Incident Commander’s approval. The Incident Commander may want to review and approve any non-routine requests, especially if they are expensive or require outside agency participation.
• What resource requests may be ordered without the Incident Commander’s approval. It may not be efficient for the Incident Commander to review and approve all resource orders for routine supplies, food, etc., on a major incident.

The Incident Commander should establish guidelines for emergency purchasing. Finance/Administration and Logistics staff must understand purchasing rules, especially if different rules apply during an emergency than day to day.

Writing these in a formal delegation of authority ensures that appropriate fiscal controls are in place, and that the Incident Management Team expends funds in accordance with the direction of the jurisdiction's Senior Official/Agency Administrator.

• Detailed item description including quantity, kind, and type (if known), or a description of required capability and/or intended use
• Required arrival date and time
• Required delivery or reporting location
• The position title of the individual to whom the resource should report
• Any incident-specific health or safety concerns (e.g., vaccinations, adverse living/working conditions, or identified environmental hazards)

Resource orders should also document action taken on a request, including but not limited to:

• Contacts with sources or potential sources for the resource request.
• Source for the responding resource.
• Identification of the responding resource (name, ID number, transporting company, etc.).
• Estimated time of arrival.
• Estimated cost.
• Changes to the order made by Command, or the position placing the order.

Such detailed information is often critical in tracking resource status through multiple staff changes and operational periods.

The Logistics Section may use the Resource Order form (ICS 213, 213 RR) to record the type and quantity of resources requested to be ordered. In addition, this form is used to track the status of the resources after they are received.

Organizations and agencies may use local forms instead of the ICS forms; incident personnel should consult their local jurisdiction to determine what form is used for resource requests.

Click here to view an example ICS Form 213RR.

Occasionally, incident personnel may not know the specific resource or mix of resources necessary to complete a task. In such situations, it is advisable to state the requirement rather than request specific tactical or support resources.

By clearly identifying the requirement, the agency fulfilling the order has the discretion to determine the optimal mix of resources and support needed.

For example, many local governments use a requirements-based approach with the American Red Cross for providing shelter services. The order describes the population needing shelter (location, size, special needs, and estimated timeframe) and the American Red Cross selects an appropriate facility and provides staff, equipment and supplies, and other resources.

During smaller incidents, where only one jurisdiction or agency is primarily involved, the resource order is typically prepared at the incident, approved by the Incident Commander, and transmitted from the incident to the jurisdiction or agency ordering point.

Methods for placing orders may include:

• Verbal (face to face, telephone, radio, Voice Over IP)
• Electronic (data transmitted by computer based systems, electronic messaging, email, or fax)

For all incidents, using a single-point ordering system is the preferred approach.

Click on this link to learn more about single-point versus multipoint resource ordering.

• The date, time, and place of departure.
• Mode of transportation to the incident.
• Estimated date and time of arrival.
• Reporting location (address, contact name, and phone number).
• Anticipated incident assignment.
• Anticipated duration of deployment.
• Resource order number.
• Incident number.
• Applicable cost and funding codes.

When resources arrive on scene, they must be formally checked in.

Mobilization procedures should detail how staff should expect authorized notification, and designate who will physically perform the call-out. Procedures should also describe the agency's policy concerning self-dispatching and freelancing.

There are a number of software programs that can perform simultaneous alphanumeric notifications via text/email/pager, or deliver voice messages over the telephone. Backup procedures should be developed for incidents in which normal activation procedures could be disrupted by utility failures, such as an earthquake or hurricane.

Mobilization procedures must be augmented with detailed checklists, appropriate equipment and supplies, and other job aids such as phone trees or pyramid re-call lists so that activation can be completed quickly.

Incident managers use established procedures to track resources from mobilization through demobilization.

Resource tracking occurs prior to, during, and after an incident.

This process helps staff prepare to receive and use resources; tracks resource location; facilitates the safety and security of personnel, equipment, teams, and facilities; and enables effective resource coordination and movement.

Resource tracking:

• Provides a clear picture of where resources are located.
• Helps staff prepare to receive resources.
• Protects the safety and security of personnel, equipment, and supplies.
• Enables resource coordination and movement.

Resource tracking responsibilities are shared as follows:

• The Planning Section is responsible for tracking all resources assigned to the incident and their status (assigned, available, out of service).
• The Operations Section is responsible for tracking the movement of resources within the Operations Section itself.
• The Finance/Administration Section is responsible for ensuring the cost-effectiveness of resources.
• EOCs support resource needs and requests of the Incident Command; this role includes resource allocation and tracking.

As soon as the incident is discovered and reported, and often even before responders are dispatched, volunteers, survivors, and spectators will converge at the scene. When responders arrive, they must separate first spectators and then volunteers from disaster survivors, and secure a perimeter around the incident.

Securing a perimeter allows the incident response organization to:

• Establish resource accountability.
• Provide security and force protection.
• Ensure safety of responders and the public.

It is important to have advanced procedures in place for:

• Establishing controlled points of access for authorized personnel.
• Distinguishing agency personnel who have been formally requested from those who self-dispatched.
• Verifying the identity, qualifications, and deployment authorization of personnel with special badges.
• Establishing affiliation access procedures to permit critical infrastructure owners and operators to send in repair crews and other personnel to expedite the restoration of their facilities and services.

The Incident Command System uses a simple and effective resource check-in process to establish resource accountability at an incident.

The Planning Section Resource Unit establishes and conducts the check-in function at designated incident locations. If the Resources Unit has not been activated, the responsibility for ensuring check-in will be with the Incident Commander or Planning Section Chief. Formal resource check-in may be done on an ICS Form 211, Check-in List.

Click here to view an example ICS Form 211.

Information collected at check-in is used for tracking, resource assignment, and financial purposes, and includes:

• Date and time of check-in
• Name of resource
• Home base
• Departure point
• Order number and resource filled
• Resource Leader name and personnel manifest (if applicable)
• Other qualifications
• Travel method

Depending on agency policy, the Planning Section Resources Unit may contact the dispatch organization to confirm the arrival of resources, personnel may contact their agency ordering point to confirm their arrival, or the system may assume on-time arrival unless specifically notified otherwise.

• Account for the overall status of resources at the incident.
• Track movement of Operations personnel into and out of the incident tactical operations area.
• Be able to handle day-to-day resource tracking, and also be flexible enough to track large numbers of multidisciplinary resources that may respond to a large, rapidly expanding incident.
• Have a backup mechanism in the event on-scene tracking breaks down.

The more hazardous the tactics being implemented on the incident, the more important it is to maintain accurate resource status information.

The "Passport" system is an on-scene resource-tracking system that is in common use in fire departments across the country. The system includes three Velcro-backed name tags and a special helmet shield for each employee. When the employee reports for work, he or she places the name tags on three "passports." The primary passport is carried on the driver's-side door of the apparatus to which the employee is assigned. The secondary passport is carried on the passenger-side door, and the third is left at the fire station.

Upon arrival at an incident, the apparatus officer gives the primary passport to the Incident Commander, or the Division/Group Supervisor to which the resource is being assigned. The Incident Commander or Division/Group Supervisor will keep the passport until the resource is released from his or her supervision, when it will be returned to the company officer. The secondary passport may either remain with the apparatus, or be collected by the Resources Unit to aid overall incident resource tracking. The third passport serves as a backup mechanism documenting what personnel are on the apparatus that shift.

The helmet shield is placed on the employee's helmet upon receiving an incident assignment. The shield provides an easy visual indication of resource status and helps control freelancing.

Click on this link to learn more about recovery and demobilization of nonexpendable and expendable resources.

Managers should plan and prepare for the demobilization process at the same time that they begin the resource mobilization process. Early planning for demobilization facilitates accountability and makes the transportation of resources as efficient as possible—in terms of both costs and time of delivery. Indicators that the incident may be ready to implement a demobilization plan include:

• Fewer resource requests being received.
• More resources spending more time in staging.
• Excess resources identified during planning process.
• Incident objectives have been accomplished.

Click on this link to review considerations for demobilization of support and management resources.

When planning to demobilize resources, consideration must be given to:

• Safety: Organizations should watch for "first in, last out" syndrome. Resources that were first on scene should be considered for early release. Also, these resources should be evaluated for fatigue and the distance they will need to travel to their home base prior to release.
• Cost: Expensive resources should be monitored carefully to ensure that they are released as soon as they are no longer needed, or if their task can be accomplished in a more cost-effective manner.

A formal demobilization process and plan should be developed when personnel:

• Have traveled a long distance and/or require commercial transportation.
• Are fatigued, causing potential safety issues.
• Should receive medical and/or stress management debriefings.
• Are required to complete task books or other performance evaluations.
• Need to contribute to the after-action review and identification of lessons learned.

In addition, written demobilization plans are useful when there is equipment that needs to be serviced or have safety checks performed.

Agencies will differ in how they establish release priorities for resources assigned to an incident. An example of release priorities might be (in order of release):

• Scarce resources requested by another incident
• Contracted or commercial resources.
• Mutual aid and assistance resources.
• First-in agency resources.
• Resources needed for cleanup or rehabilitation.

Agency policies, procedures, and agreements must be considered by the incident management prior to releasing resources. For example, if the drivers of large vehicles carry special licenses (commercial rating, for example), they may be affected by local, tribal, State, and Federal regulations for the amount of rest required before a driver can get back on the road.

Incident personnel are considered a part of the Incident Command until they check-in at their home base or new assignment. In some circumstances this may also apply to contracted resources. For reasons of liability, it is important that the incident organization mitigate potential safety issues (such as fatigue) prior to letting resources depart for home.

On large incidents, especially those which may have personnel and tactical resources from several jurisdictions or agencies, and where there has been an extensive integration of multijurisdictional or agency personnel into the incident organization, a Demobilization Unit within the Planning Section should be established early in the life of the incident. A written demobilization plan is essential on larger incidents.

Reimbursement includes the payment of expenses incurred by resource providers for specific activities.

Reimbursement processes are important for establishing and maintaining resource readiness and establishing the means to pay providers in a timely manner. Processes include mechanisms for collecting bills, validating costs against the scope of the work, replacing or repairing damaged equipment, and accessing reimbursement programs.

Reimbursement procedures are often specified in mutual aid and assistance agreements.

Restocking is replenishing depleted resources.

Preparedness plans, mutual aid agreements, and assistance agreements should specify reimbursement terms and arrangements for:

• Collecting bills and documentation.
• Validating costs against the scope of the work.
• Ensuring that proper authorities are secured.
• Using proper procedures/forms and accessing any reimbursement software programs.

This lesson focused on the six primary tasks of resource management during an incident.

1. Identify Requirements
2. Order and Acquire
3. Mobilize
4. Track and Report
5. Demobilize
6. Reimburse and Restock

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

• Describe the ordering procedures and configuration and logistical support needs for State mobilizations and Federal resources.
• Identify issues concerning the mobilization of large quantities of resources and the prioritization systems for identifying and assigning scarce resources.
• Describe the complications with and strategies for managing donations and spontaneous volunteers.

Complex incidents are those beyond business as usual. Their characteristics may include most, if not all, of those listed below:

• Involve more than one agency (often many)
• May involve more than one political jurisdiction
• Have the most complex management and communication problems
• Require more experienced, qualified supervisory personnel
• Require the long-term commitment of large numbers of tactical and support resources
• Cause more injury, illness, and death
• Produce the most damage to property and the environment
• Have extreme elements of crisis/psychological trauma that diminish human capacity to function
• Last longer
• Are the most costly to control
• Require extensive mitigation, recovery, and rehabilitation
• Have greater media interest
• May require management of volunteers and donations, both solicited and unsolicited

The process for coordinating resources for complex incidents dovetails with that used for individual, smaller incidents. However, in complex incidents there are numerous Multiagency Coordination System elements involved in resource coordination including:

• Local, State, and Federal Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs)
• MAC Groups
• FEMA Regional Response Coordination Centers
• Joint Field Offices (JFOs)
• National Response Framework agencies
• Department of Homeland Security

It must be remembered that the authority and structure of EOCs, MAC Groups, etc., varies from agency to agency and jurisdiction to jurisdiction. However, it is important also to remember the difference between command and coordination.

Click here for a quick review of the difference between command and coordination.

Coordinating resource needs begins with a thorough assessment or "size up" of the current incident situation and future incident potential. The scope and details of this assessment depend on the jurisdictional level of the organization. For example, a County EOC must have a detailed understanding of the status of all jurisdictions and current incidents within its purview, plus a good understanding of the status of surrounding counties. The EOC should also maintain a general awareness of national conditions, especially for situations that may affect resource availability.

Click on the audio or transcript buttons to access lessons learned.

The Incident Commander develops incident objectives. For the supporting coordination entities, these objectives may translate into requests for additional resources. One of the characteristics of complex incidents is that there may be competition for limited critical resources.

In order to allocate resources appropriately, the Emergency Operations Center and the MAC Group must be able to prioritize multiple incidents happening simultaneously.

MAC Groups are primarily responsible for resource prioritization and allocation. Unlike Unified Command, they do not perform incident command functions, nor do they replace the primary functions of operations, coordination, or dispatch organizations. When competition for resources is significant, MAC Groups may relieve the coordination and dispatch organizations of some prioritization and allocation responsibilities.

Life safety is the priority when making resource allocation decisions.

Allocate scarce resources according to priority and then determine additional steps that need to be taken. These additional steps could include mission-tasking other organizations for resources, making policy decisions to assist in the response, allocating donated goods and services, etc.

For example, in the activity just completed, there may be ways to accomplish the security and traffic control needs at the assisted-living center without assigning sworn police officers. Many event management companies have employees experienced in crowd and traffic control and security.

During complex incidents, resource mobilization becomes complicated, as more agencies and levels of government become involved, more incidents require assistance, supply lines and response times get longer, and more resources mobilize. This increased workload is often underestimated.

Maintaining ordering discipline and the coordination chain will assist in avoiding duplication of effort, additional expense, and lost requests. However, it is important to remember that, in some complex incidents, State and Federal resources may take some time to arrive.

The next screen will provide an animated example of the process.

This graphic depicts the flow of assistance during large-scale incidents.

• Read an explanation of the process.

Convergence is the result of unstructured response to an incident. Convergence can come from several sources, and may severely hamper incident response activities, as well as place an enormous logistical burden on an already burdened system. It may also provide unexpected benefits, especially in the period of time between the occurrence of the incident and the arrival of State and Federal resources.

Convergence issues may include any or all of the following:

• Local resources (requested resources, and also well-intentioned freelancing and unrequested, self-dispatched emergency responders)
• State and Federal agency resources (requested resources, as well as unrequested, self-dispatched resources from field offices close to the incident)
• Donations and volunteer assistance
• VIP visits

Even under "normal" incident conditions, the incident scene can rapidly become clogged with apparatus, command staff vehicles, and bystanders. Such congestion:

• Causes unnecessary exposure to hazards (including incidents where responders may be the primary or secondary target).
• Makes access difficult for resources that are needed for the response.
• Complicates resource accountability and tracking.

During major events, this "normal" congestion can become aggravated by self-dispatched and freelancing emergency responders. Self-dispatched resources and freelancing cause serious problems.

Personnel should NOT respond to the scene unless requested and dispatched.

In addition to creating the problems noted earlier, emergency responder convergence may:

• Deplete reserve resources that are needed to provide continued services to the community.
• Compromise service provided under mutual aid and assistance agreements and disrupt orderly backup/moveup coverage.
• Make it difficult to track resources or maintain resource accountability.
• Interfere with evacuation.
• Hamper access of formally requested resources.
• Increase the complexity of actions to protect responders from additional threats.

Strategies for dealing with responder convergence include:

• Developing a local and regional capability to augment and sustain a reinforced response for at least 72 hours. This capability should be accompanied by policies governing self-dispatch and freelancing. Self-dispatch may be unavoidable—managing unrequested resources should be anticipated and planned for.
• Developing a plan for continued public safety service. This plan should include an organized policy and procedure for the orderly recall of additional personnel, as well as a policy to define the deployment of personnel to assist other agencies in times of crisis. Don't forget to include backup for EOC personnel as well as emergency responders and ICS staff.

Additional strategies include:

• Establishing and enforcing inner and outer perimeters. Exclude freelancing or self-dispatched resources as well as unauthorized civilian or volunteer access.
• Establishing and enforcing a controlled access plan for authorized personnel. This may require immediate access to large quantities of fencing materials.
• Developing, establishing, and enforcing a coordinated traffic management and evacuation plan.
• Establishing and enforcing Staging Areas.

The events of 9/11 taught the New York City Fire Department many important lessons about dealing with emergency responder convergence.

Transcript

While interstate Emergency Management Assistance Compacts (EMAC system) and the National Response Framework provide vital resources to overwhelmed jurisdictions, their arrival can cause additional convergence issues. Even resources such as Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Task Forces, who come prepared to be self-sufficient for 72 hours, will need a secure location in which to store equipment, conduct planning, eat, and sleep. Other teams, such as a Disaster Mortuary Team (DMORT) or National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident investigation teams, may need specific kinds of support from local government, including special facilities and utility needs, and security assistance.

In order to be able to deploy immediately, most Federal resources arrive with a full contingent of personnel, equipment, and supplies. A review of the capabilities of the FEMA US&R Task Forces reveals how significant the amount of resources may be.

Click this link to view the Task Force capabilities.

Strategies for managing State, Territorial, and Federal deployments include:

• Making sure that statewide mutual aid agreements include instructions on staging, standards for ensuring interoperability of equipment and communication, the expected degree of self-sufficiency, and the specific support expected from the host jurisdiction.
• Reviewing and assessing the support requirements of frequently deployed Federal resources.
• Developing a plan to integrate State, Territorial, and Federal assets into local or tribal incident operations. Plan for the use of Unified Command and interdisciplinary tactical operations.
• Building relationships with State, Territorial, and Federal officials likely to respond to complex incidents by training and exercising together.
• Identifying locations suitable for remote Staging Areas, Incident Bases, Receiving and Distribution Centers, and Mobilization Centers.

It is important to pre-identify facilities necessary to support State and Federal mobilizations.

• Facilities will be required for the incident itself, including the Incident Command Post, Staging Areas (run by Operations), and Incident Bases (managed by Logistics).
• Facilities are also needed "off-incident," such as Receiving and Distribution and Mobilization/Demobilization Centers, where resources are gathered, housed, and supported while awaiting specific incident assignments, and locations for Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs), Joint Operations Centers (JOCs), and Joint Information Centers (JICs).

In addition to the facilities themselves, resource considerations should include:

• Security
• Parking
• Access
• Utilities
• Access to commercial sources of food, sanitation, lodging
• Janitorial and garbage service

Facilities to consider for use:

• Airports and heliports
• Aircraft hangars
• Warehouses
• Large parking lots
• Campgrounds
• Hotels, motels, and dormitories
• Office spaces
• Conference spaces

It is difficult to overstate the monetary and psychological importance of donations and volunteer assistance during a major disaster. Successfully managing and tracking donations and coordinating the efforts of volunteers (solicited or unsolicited) can be a significant political, psychological, and logistical opportunity—and a problem.

Donations take the form of either funds, or donations of goods and services. The key to successful management of these assets is having a pre-incident plan for soliciting, gathering, prioritizing, and distributing appropriate donations.

The system must also be prepared to deal with inappropriate donations without bogging down the distribution of essential goods and services.

The inability to manage donations can lead to an "emergency within an emergency." It may even become necessary for the jurisdiction to protect itself from charges of mismanagement, or from being billed at a later date for goods and services presented as "donations" at the time.

Unaffiliated volunteers, also known as spontaneous volunteers, are individuals who offer to help or self-deploy to assist in emergency situations without fully coordinating their activities. These volunteers are considered “unaffiliated” in that they are not part of a disaster relief organization.

Unaffiliated volunteers can be significant resources, but because they do not have preestablished relationships with emergency response organizations, verifying their training or credentials and matching them with the appropriate service areas can be difficult.

Click on this link to access the National Response Framework Volunteer and Donations Management Support Annex (https://www.fema.gov/national-preparedness-resource-library)

The first strategy for managing volunteers is to establish working relationships with the local organizations representing these entities:

• National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (National VOAD) is the forum where organizations share knowledge and resources throughout the disaster cycle—preparation, response, and recovery—to help disaster survivors and their communities. National VOAD members are the primary coordinating nonprofit organizations for the management of unaffiliated volunteers.
• Citizen Corps helps coordinate volunteer activities that will make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to any emergency situation. It provides opportunities for people to participate in a range of measures to make their families, their homes, and their communities safer from the threats of crime, terrorism, and disasters of all kinds.

Volunteers such as amateur radio operators, search and rescue teams, Community Emergency Response Team (CERTs), police and fire auxiliaries, and reserves are valued members of emergency management organizations in many jurisdictions.

Such resources are known quantities that train and exercise to play specific roles in an incident. These volunteers have long-standing formal relationships that are spelled out in written agreements and standard operating procedures. Individual members have credentials and identification issued by the volunteer organization itself and/or the emergency management organization with which it has the agreement.

Consider:

• Developing a CERT capability if your jurisdiction does not have one.
• Making sure agreements with volunteer organizations clearly spell out required training, experience, and equipment, as well as liability and employment relationship to the jurisdiction.
• Developing and implementing an effective management structure to receive spontaneous volunteers, catalog their skills, provide on-the-job training, deploy, and supervise activities.
• Developing public information and media releases that provide direction for those who wish to volunteer.

VIP visits cause yet another convergence issue for incidents. Depending on who the visitors are and where they want to go, these visits can disrupt incident operations, cause additional traffic congestion, and attract a larger media presence.

On the other hand, such visits are valuable in providing VIPs with a realistic view of the problems posed by the disaster, and they may result in enhanced resources and provide a morale boost to responders and survivors. Most VIPs are aware of the impact their presence may have on operations, and are willing to coordinate visits with the incident management organization.

Strategies for dealing with VIP visits include the following:

• When possible, encourage such visitors to wait until after the window for successful rescues has passed.
• If visits must be scheduled before then, attempt to schedule visits to less time-sensitive operations.
• Identify appropriate background shots, photo opportunities, etc., before the visit.
• Confirm availability of key personnel (Public Information Officers, Incident Commanders, etc.) prior to the VIP’s arrival.

Try to limit time spent on scene. Conduct business away from the scene if possible.

Self-dispatching or self-deploying resources may interfere with incident management and place an extra logistical and management burden on an already stressed Incident Command organization.

If your incident uses a self-dispatched resource, it is possible that your agency or jurisdiction may become liable for their actions, for any accidents or injuries they incur while working, and possibly expenses and reimbursements.

Although these resources may be trained and capable, the risks associated with assigning unrequested resources may outweigh the advantages.

If unrequested resources must be used, consider the following strategies:

• Unrequested resources may become freelancers if the incident organization cannot organize to use them. Instruct perimeter personnel to refer unrequested emergency resources to staging or mobilization points. Staging Area Managers and Resource Unit Check-In Recorders must be ready to inventory resources for skills and readiness, check them in, organize them into appropriate tactical configurations and assign them to the incident. If their skills are not needed, they should return to normal status to avoid unnecessary impact on overall public safety coverage.
• An unrequested resource that has been accepted and assigned to the incident must be included in the resource tracking and incident planning process.

Additional strategies for using self-dispatched resources include:

• Information about the resource should be shared with the rest of the Command and General Staff, especially the Liaison Officer, and the Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration Section Chiefs.
• Nongovernmental and private-sector resources should be inspected and formal agreements completed as soon as possible.
• The presence and status of public-sector resources on the incident should be reported to their home agency.

Planning and organizing to provide management and logistical support to complex incidents requires a level of detail well beyond "normal" incident response. Effective preparedness actions are required to:

• Organize, support, and integrate large quantities of resources from local, tribal, territorial, state, and Federal sources.
• Anticipate and manage convergence issues resulting from unrequested resources, unsolicited donations, and unaffiliated volunteerism.
• Ensure scene safety.

The next lesson is the Course Summary.

Identify Requirements

During an incident, personnel continually identify, validate, and refine resource needs. This process involves identifying the type and quantity of resources needed, the location where resources should be sent, and who will receive and use the resources.

Order and Acquire

Both incident and EOC staff make initial and ongoing assessments of resource requirements and either activate or request those resources. Incident personnel can order additional resources by executing contracts, implementing mutual aid agreements, or requesting assistance from another level of government (e.g., a local government to a state, or a state to the Federal Government).

Mobilize

Personnel and other resources begin mobilizing when notified by the requesting jurisdiction or by an intermediary acting on its behalf, such as the state Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) coordinator.

Track and Report

Incident managers use established procedures to track resources from mobilization through demobilization. Resource tracking occurs prior to, during, and after an incident.

Demobilize

The goal of demobilization is the orderly, safe, and efficient return of a resource to its original location and status.

Reimburse and Restock

Reimbursement includes the payment of expenses incurred by resource providers for specific activities.

Mutual aid involves sharing resources and services between jurisdictions or organizations. Mutual aid occurs routinely to meet the resource needs identified by the requesting organization.

This assistance can include the daily dispatch of law enforcement, emergency medical services (EMS), and fire service resources between local communities, as well as the movement of resources within a state or across state lines when larger-scale incidents occur. Mutual aid can provide essential assistance to fill mission needs.

Mutual aid agreements and compacts establish the legal basis for two or more entities to share resources. They exist among and between all levels of government. These agreements support effective and efficient resource management.

What Are the Different Types of Agreements?

There are several types of these kinds of agreements, including but not limited to the following:

• Automatic Mutual Aid
• Local Mutual Aid
• Regional Mutual Aid
• Statewide/Intrastate Mutual Aid
• Interstate Agreements
• International Agreements
• Other Agreements

What Is Included in Agreements?

Agreements, preferably written, should include the following elements or provisions:

• Definitions of key terms used in the agreement
• Roles and responsibilities of individual parties
• Procedures for requesting and providing assistance
• Procedures, authorities, and rules for payment, reimbursement, and allocation of costs
• Notification procedures
• Protocols for interoperable communications
• Relationships with other agreements among jurisdictions
• Workers’ compensation
• Treatment of liability and immunity
• Recognition of qualifications, licensure, and certifications
• Sharing agreements, as required
• Termination clause

Congratulations! You’ve completed the course.

You may want to print a copy of the course summary before completing the exam.