What do you think about NIMS Resource Management?

FEMA SEEKS COMMENTS ON NATIONAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE AND TOOLS

Today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released five documents designed to strengthen the Resource Management component of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and is now beginning a 30-day National Engagement period. The National Engagement period will conclude at 5 p.m. EDT on June 9, 2017.

NIMS provides a consistent, common approach, and vocabulary to enable the whole community to work together seamlessly to manage all threats and hazards, regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity.

The drafts released today include the NIMS Guideline for the National Qualification System (NQS), NIMS Job Titles/Position Qualifications and accompanying Position Task Books (PTBs), the NIMS Guideline for Mutual Aid, and an updated NIMS Guideline for the Credentialing of Personnel. Together, these documents are designed to enhance interoperability and the effectiveness of mutual aid.

• NIMS Guideline for the NQS provides a common language and approach for qualifying and certifying deployable emergency personnel, enabling enables mutual aid partners to accurately communicate resource needs in disasters.
• NIMS Job Titles/Position Qualifications define minimum qualifications criteria for personnel serving in defined deployable incident positions.
• NIMS Position Task Books (PTBs) identify the competencies, behaviors, and tasks that personnel should demonstrate to become qualified for a defined incident position.
• The NIMS Guideline for Mutual Aid is designed to help unify mutual aid efforts by providing stakeholders with common practice and processes for use in mutual aid planning.
• The updated NIMS Guideline for the Credentialing of Personnel provide national standards and guidance for credentialing incident personnel.

FEMA is hosting a series of 60-minute engagement webinars to describe the draft documents and answer participants’ questions about providing feedback. All open webinars are geared toward the whole community.

National engagement provides interested parties with an opportunity to comment on the draft documents to ensure that the final documents reflect the collective expertise and experience of the whole community. To review the drafts of the NIMS Resource Management supplemental guidance and tools, and to obtain additional webinar information, visit https://www.fema.gov/national-incident-management-system/national-engagement.

To provide comments on the drafts, complete the feedback form and submit it to FEMA-NIMS@fema.dhs.gov. 

In the Path of a Tornado

This spring, learn how to prepare and react should a tornado watch or warning be issued for your area.   This April, there have been tornadoes in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington D.C. and Wisconsin. Do you know if your neighborhood is at risk for tornadoes? The tips to stay safe in a tornado are simple and easy to practice. Whether you find yourself in a building, in a vehicle or outside during a storm, Ready.gov provides the following specific actions to stay safe. In apartments, houses, small buildings or high-rises:  Go to a pre-designated area or safe room designed and built to Federal Emergency Management Agency P-361 criteria or tornado storm shelter built to ICC 500 criteria. If a safe room is not available or you are unable to move there safely, take shelter in a basement, storm cellar, or to the center of a small interior room on the lowest level (closet, interior hallway) away from corners, windows, doors, and outside walls. In a high-rise building, go to a small interior room or hallway on the lowest floor possible. In a mobile home or office: Leave immediately and go to a pre-identified location such as the lowest floor of a sturdy, nearby building or a storm shelter. Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes. Outside with no shelter   Immediately get into a vehicle, buckle your seat belt, and try to drive to the closest sturdy shelter. Never try to outrun a tornado in urban or congested areas. Take cover in a stationary vehicle. Put the seat belt on and cover your head with your arms and a blanket, coat or another cushion if possible. Lie in an area noticeably lower than the level of the roadway and cover your head. Do not get under an overpass or bridge. For more information, visit the Ready.gov Tornadoes page and download the Prepareathon How to Prepare for a Tornado guide.

Warning Signs: Heat Stroke #AltusOK #OKwx

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heat stroke occurs when the body is unable to regulate its temperature. The body's temperature rises rapidly, sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down.      Do you know the signs of heat stroke? While warning signs may vary, symptoms may include: An extremely high body temperature (above 103 degrees Fahrenheit); Red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating); Rapid, strong pulse; and Dizziness.  According to the CDC, if someone experiences signs of a heat stroke, have someone else call for immediate medical assistance while you begin cooling the person by:  Getting him or her to a shady area; and/or Immersing the person in a tub of cool water, placing him or her in a cool shower, or spraying the person with cool water from a garden hose.  Be sure to monitor the person’s body temperature, and continue cooling efforts until the body temperature drops to 101-102 degrees Fahrenheit. If emergency medical personnel are delayed, call the hospital emergency room for further instructions. Don’t give the victim fluids to drink. If emergency treatment isn’t provided, heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability. To learn more about this and other heat-related illnesses, visit the CDC website. For questions about extreme heat safety, check out the CDC’s list of FAQs.