Local Emergency Planning 

In cooperation with the Washington County Emergency Management Agency, WCCOG has worked to provide assistance to Washington County communities in meeting requirements for local governments under the National Incident Management System (NIMS). An Emergency Preparedness Planner is a useful document for any office of household to have on hand. Download a copy at the link above for your home, school or office.

WCCOG work under a 2007 Grant has now been completed. To assist communities with on-going emergency management planning needs, relevant information and sample documents continue to be available below. Communities are encourage to contact Emergency Management Director Lynn Dwelley at 255-3931 with questions regarding current NIMS requirements.

Local Emergency Management Policies 

State law and the National Incident Management System (NIMS) both have standards requiring communities to adopt an emergency management policy (or ordinance). An emergency management policy officially establishes the position of Emergency Management Director, lays out a process for declaring and terminating a declared emergency and establishes the responsibilities of various municipal officials in oversight of emergency operations.

Click here to download a sample emergency management policy.

Local Emergency Management Plan 

State law and the National Incident Management System (NIMS) both have standards requiring communities to adopt an emergency management plan that implements the communities emergency management policy. A community's emergency management plan should identify the hazards most likely to affect your community and a plan for responding to those hazards.

Click here to download a sample emergency management plan.

FY 2010 NIMS Training Requirements 

The table below includes links to the NIMS training courses needed to meet NIMS-ICS Minimum Training Requirements for common positions in Washington County communities based on FY2010 FEMA Guidance.

FEMA periodically updates minimum training requirements. Local emergency management directors are encouraged to check with the Washington County EMA (255-3931) for the most recent requirements.

Position	Online Courses
Local Emergency Management Director	IS 800, IS 700, ICS 100, ICS 200  FY2010: IS 701, IS 703, IS 704
Selectmen	IS 700
Fire Chief	IS 700, ICS 100, ICS 200, ICS 300*, ICS 400*
Fire Department Officers	IS 700, ICS 100, ICS 200
All other firefighters	IS 700, ICS 100
Police Chief	IS 700, ICS 100, ICS 200, ICS 300*, ICS 400*
Police Line Offices	IS 700, ICS 100, ICS 200
Patrolman	IS 700, ICS 100
EMS Chief	IS 700, ICS 100, ICS 200, ICS 300*, ICS 400*
EMS Crew Chief	IS 700, ICS 100, ICS 200
EMS Personnel	IS 700, ICS 100
Public Works Director	IS 703

* Course not available online.

NIMS Reporting via NIMSCAST 

NIMSCAST is an on-line self-assessment tool developed by FEMA as way to help communities track their compliance with National Incident Management System (NIMS) standards. Documenting NIMS compliance using NIMSCAST involves answering approximately 30 questions regarding emergency management in your community. It generally takes around one hour to complete the initial reporting. Annual verification is required to maintain NIMS compliance in subsequent years.WCCOG can assist your community to complete initial reporting using NIMSCAST.

For your reference, WCCOG developed a simple How-To guide (Word, 422 KB) that walks new and returning users through the process of logging into NIMSCAST and making updates. Please contact Emergency Management Director Lynn Dwelley at 255-3931 with questions or for more information.

NOTE: NIMSCAST is a permission-based system. Users must have an account, user name and password to access the system. Please contact Emergency Management Director Lynn Dwelley at 255-3931 to request a NIMCAST account or if you have lost your user name and password.