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.