Domain

International Development NGOs

Red Cross Code of Conduct:

• ​http://www.ifrc.org/publicat/conduct/

Sphere standards (Humanitartian Charter & Minimum Standards):

• ​http://www.sphereproject.org/

Emergency Management

ADPC: Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre

• ​http://adpc.net

NIMS

FEMA (US Emergency Response) free online training (exam available only for US citizens)

• ​ICS 100 - Introduction to ICS (Incident Command System)
• ​ICS 700 - Introduction to NIMS (National Incident Management System)
• ​ICS 800 - Introduction to NRF (National Response Framework)
• ​ICS 101 - Deployment Basics (individual preparation)
• ​ICS 701 - NIMS Multiagency Coordination System
• ​ICS 702 - NIMS Public Information Systems
• ​ICS 703 - NIMS Resource Management
• ​ICS 704 - NIMS Communications and Information Management
• ​ICS 200 - Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents (for supervisors)

NB What is called an 'Incident' in ICS is what Sahana calls a 'Project'.

• How can we have that relabelled for an ICS deployment & not have it confused with 'Incident Reports' from the general public?

Preparedness

Effective emergency management and incident response activities begin with a host of preparedness activities conducted on an ongoing basis, in advance of any potential incident. Preparedness involves an integrated combination of assessment; planning; procedures and protocols; training and exercises; personnel qualifications; equipment certification; and evaluation and revision.

• Protocols are rules for knowing what level of delegated authority a trained person has to operate before referring to a superior.
• Credentialing involves an objective evaluation and documentation of an individual's:
  • Current certification, license, or degree
  • Training and experience
  • Competence or proficiency
  • Medical Fitness
• Procedural Documents
  • Standard Operating Procedure or Operations Manual: Complete reference document that provides the purpose, authorities, duration, and details for the preferred method of performing a single function or a number of interrelated functions in a uniform manner.
  • Field Operations Guide or Incident Management Handbook: Durable pocket or desk guide that contains essential information required to perform specific assignments or functions.
  • Mobilization Guide: Reference document used by agencies/organizations outlining agreements, processes, and procedures used by all participating organizations for activating, assembling, and transporting resources.
  • Job Aid: Checklist or other visual aid intended to ensure that specific steps for completing a task or assignment are accomplished. Job aids serve as training aids to teach individuals how to complete specific job tasks.

We should support Exercises easily (prefix on messages, watermark on records). These should be filtered out when not in exercise mode (like deletion_status).

Communications and Information Management

Emergency management and incident response activities rely on communications and information systems that provide a common operating picture to all command and coordination sites. NIMS describes the requirements necessary for a standardized framework for communications and emphasizes the need for a common operating picture. This component is based on the concepts of interoperability, reliability, scalability, and portability, as well as the resiliency and redundancy of communications and information systems.

Common operating picture including the availability and location of resources and the status of assistance requests.

Standardised Forms:

• ​http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/ICSResource/ICSResCntr_Forms.htm

Resource Management

Resources (such as personnel, equipment, supplies and facilities) are needed to support critical incident objectives. The flow of resources must be fluid and adaptable to the requirements of the incident. NIMS defines standardized mechanisms and establishes the resource management process to identify requirements, order and acquire, mobilize, track and report, recover and demobilize, reimburse, and inventory resources.

Resources are identified by standard:

• Type - specifically defines the level of capability a resource has. Type may vary by power, size, or capacity. Therefore, assigning a Type 1 label to a resource implies that it has a greater level of capability than a Type 2 of the same resource. The National Resource Typing definitions are broken into four distinct types. In some cases, a resource may have less than or more than four types. The type assigned to a resource or a component is based on a minimum level of capability described by the identified metric(s) for that resource.

• Category - describes the function for which a resource would be most useful (list as of June 2007):
  • Transportation
  • Communications
  • Public works and engineering
  • Firefighting
  • Information and planning
  • Law enforcement and security
  • Mass care
  • Resource management
  • Health and medical
  • Search and rescue
  • Hazardous materials response
  • Food and water
  • Energy
  • Public information
  • Animals and agricultural issues
  • Volunteers and donations

• Kind (broad classes that characterize like resources):
  • teams
  • equipment
  • supplies
  • vehicles
  • aircraft

• Tier:
  • Tier-I (Capable of being requested for National responses)
  • Tier-II (Capable only for Intra-State responses)

Although different formats may exist, every Resource Order should contain the essential elements of information (a good mnemonic is SALTT: Size, Amount, Location, Type, Time):

• Incident name
• Order and/or request number (if known or assigned)
• Date and time of order
• Quantity, kind, and type or detailed mission description (Resources should be ordered by Task Forces or Strike Teams when appropriate.) Include any special support needs.
• Reporting location (specific)
• Requested time of delivery (specific, immediate vs. planned, not ASAP)
• Radio frequency to be used
• Person/title placing request
• Callback phone number or radio designation for clarifications or additional information

Command and Management

The Command and Management component of NIMS is designed to enable effective and efficient incident management and coordination by providing a flexible, standardized incident management structure. The structure is based on three key organizational constructs: the Incident Command System, Multiagency Coordination Systems, and Public Information.

• Common Language (plain English)
  • Facility types (Office Types? Different Icons):
    • Incident Command Posts, Bases, Camps, Staging Areas, mass casualty triage areas, point-of-distribution sites
• Manage by Objectives
  • Incident Action Plan (Document Library + Wiki?)
• Flexible Org charts (predefined optional roles to delegate areas to)
  • each person has only a single superior
  • manageable span of control (3-7 subordinates)
• Staff need to check-in & check-out (like we do for Shelters)
• Provide a 'Public Bulletin' area of the site (frontpage?)

Incident Action Plan:

• Development of incident objectives and strategy.
• Development of tactics and resource assignments.
• Detailed incident and resource assessment, including safety concerns.
• Required logistical support.
• Consideration of public information and interagency issues.
• Documentation of assignments and required support on the written IAP.
• Monitored implementation.

Demobilization:

• Performance Rating by Senior (& signed by Individual)

Requests for assistance (outside jurisdiction) should include the following information:

• The type of incident
• The time that the incident occurred or is expected to occur
• The actions already taken
• The areas and number of people involved
• Estimates of loss of life, injuries, and extent of damage
• The type and amount of assistance required
• A contact for followup questions

Public Information:

• Gathering information
• Verifying information
• Coordinating information (inc key messages, sign-off)
• Disseminating information