Wayne adopts federal emergency standards

Homeland Security funds linked to new procedures

By TOM KANE

HONESDALE, PA - Wayne County now has the latest, most up-to-date emergency system there is. It’s called NIMS and it went into effect this past week when the county commissioners approved it.

NIMS stands for National Incident Management System and it’s a nationwide program and ensures that all government, private-sector, and nongovernmental organizations can work together seamlessly to prepare, respond to and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size or complexity.

NIMS provides a consistent nationwide template for a standardized framework for communications, information management and information sharing. The system teaches all participants to use the same terminology in identifying and describing emergency events, and supports technologies such a voice and data communication systems, data display systems and specialized technologies. It also provides standards for planning, training and personnel qualification.

“The Department of Homeland Security has directed that every state, county and municipality train its key personnel in NIMS,” said Frank Smith, emergency management coordinator of Wayne County.

“Great confusion was caused on September 11th when fire departments and police and emergency groups called things by different names or codes and were on different radio frequencies,” Smith said. “That’s one thing this will avoid.”

It’s important for the county personnel to be compliant with the new system if it wishes to receive funds from Homeland Security, he said.

Those who were trained in the system on the county level include the county commissioners, the chief clerk and the county’s emergency management coordinator and staff. Trainees were to study relevant material and pass an exam in the training courses, using a pass/fail system.

Courses were self directed and self-paced with the students following the program on the computer. Certified instructors were available but the county decided against the use of instructors.

“Local fire companies are also training their personnel in the system,” Smith said.

“All of us [commissioners] were trained in NIMS, and I assure you that it’s a wonderful system and we are going to be a whole lot safer because it’s in place,” said Tony Herzog, chairman of the commissioners.