TIGARD, Ore. - Multiple incidents. Multiple agencies. And multiple emergency management plans. The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 and the destructive power of Hurricane Katrina, two large-scale emergencies, have left a permanent mark on the United States.
The necessity for a cohesive, national emergency response system led the Department of Homeland Security to issue the comprehensive National Incident Management System (NIMS) and to incorporate the Incident Command System (ICS), which requires first responder compliance at all jurisdictional levels, into the NIMS.
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The NIMS: Incident Command System Field Guide™ from Informed Publishing was produced to help emergency responders get the tools they need for effective incident command (IC) - and to support NIMS compliance.
The latest publication from Informed, NIMS: Incident Command System Field Guide™ is the first NIMS pocket guide on the market and follows the successful Homeland Security Field Guide™, which was released by Informed in 2005.
“Most of the NIMS/ICS information out there is very conceptual, with little detail,” says Jan Johnston-Tyler, Informed director of content architecture and systems. “This guide provides the tools needed for practical application, but it’s also conceptual enough to apply to different types of emergency situations.”
That’s important when it comes to not only being compliant in NIMS practices, but in consistently and effectively responding to whatever may occur, be it a natural or human-created disaster.
“The guide keeps in mind that no two implementations of these protocols will be the same. Look at Katrina and 9/11,” Johnston-Tyler says. “They were two completely different emergencies and required completely different types of response. But they also required the same backbone of response.”
“With this guide, we’re dealing with hospitals, fire departments, police departments, emergency services... It really goes to the heart of all the different organizations we work with,” says Informed CEO Chris Barnes. “Anybody already using our products will be able to pick up the new NIMS guide and quickly find what they need. All of our guides are structured the same way. They’re easy to navigate, with readily accessible information.”
Like other Informed field guides, the NIMS guide includes color-coded tabs, logically organized information, and durable materials. The all-hazards, non-jurisdiction, and non-discipline-specific guide also provides responsibilities and checklists for applying the ICS; a NIMS overview; a glossary; acronym reference; sample organizational charts, schedules, and meeting agendas; position-specific prompts for command and operations; and Incident Action Plan (IAP) and ICS forms and templates. This handy guide can be used for NIMS and ICS training, during training and functional exercises, and on incident responses.
The NIMS: Incident Command System Field Guide™ ($21.95 retail) is part of the popular series of reference books by Informed Publishing. Designed to deliver essential information fast, the 3" x 5" pocket guide is 100% plastic, waterproof, tear-resistant, and alcohol-fast.
More relevant, timely guides are on their way. Informed Publishing, The Field Guide Company™ continues to lead in the field guide industry with new, first response topics presented in an easily accessible, handy format. The company has become a trusted leader in the industry by creating innovative tools for field care providers since 1986. The company created the original EMS Field Guides™ and the best-selling Emergency & Critical Care Pocket Guide™. It also has published field reference guides in the areas of fire and rescue, critical care, pediatric care, law enforcement, and nursing, and guides are used in the classroom as well as in the field. All texts are written by practicing professionals and all guides are field-tested before release.
For more information, visit www.InformedGuides.com or call 888.624.8014.