SPARCS Ham Radio Emergency Communication

NIMS/ICS COURSES AVAILABLE PROFESSIONALLY ONLINE

SPARCS members have been working on the Incident Command System and the National Incident Management System (ICS and NIMS) since 2006 and many have already completed the four major online courses recommended and approved by FEMA on the FEMA web site.  All EmComm Ham Radio operators serving EOC Customers and NIMS-ICS served agencies are urged to complete all six courses, especially the four courses which are given free on line and at your own pace. SPARCS is the organziation that brought ICS and NIMS to Ham Radio in the Rio Grande Valley and several stations have succeed in accomplishing all four courses on line.  

ICS and NIMS began in 2003, when the President issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)–5, Management of Domestic Incidents, which directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and administer a National Incident Management System (NIMS). This system provides a consistent nationwide template to enable Federal, State, and local governments, private-sector and nongovernmental organizations to work together effectively and efficiently to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity, including acts of catastrophic terrorism.  In order for Ham Operators to meet the increased sophistication and upgrade that all local government agencies in the Valley have meet and now actually practice, anyone who will be operating in an EOC environment such as SPARCS operators will be in the future, will need to have a working knowledge of ICS and NIMS practicies. It’s not complicated and it actually makes a lot of since.  There are six courses and all of them are basic and fundamental and easy to pass. Two of the courses can only be absorbed and received in a class room environment leaving four basic courses you can actually take online. SPARCS will be providing the two basic classroom courses by certified NIMS - ICS professional instructors in the near future. Until then we highly recommend signing up and taking the online courses at the FEMA web site for free.  You learn at your own pace in a professional presentation which is quick and effective, and you can take your test easily and print out your certificate which can only be provided by either the online course, or a certified instructor.  Click here to visit the FEMA NIMS -ICS web site to register for free and start your FEMA NIMS and ICS course the right way!