| Perhaps one of the most important training issues | | | | 800. The reason for the additional requirement is |
| confronting the Coast Guard Auxiliary is the | | | | simple. You may well be in a position to work with |
| certification of individual members in ICS or | | | | the Coast Guard to gather resources or be |
| Incident Command System. Let's talk about ICS | | | | exposed to critical sensitive information and |
| and NIMS. NIMS is the National Incident | | | | helping to manage these resources. There for you |
| Management System and a national plan for | | | | will need to know how the Coast Guard operation |
| various responding agencies required to work | | | | shifts to become a bigger part of the operational |
| together to resolve an incident, exercise or drill. | | | | posture. |
| Incidents can be as innocuous as an OPSAIL | | | | All members working in the Trident program are |
| event or a visit by the Queen Mary II that require | | | | required to complete the additional ICS courses. |
| intra-agency coordination for a successful | | | | Hypothetically, if you are assigned as "resource |
| outcome. NIMS is a national plan, integrating many | | | | leader" or "demobilization leader" during an incident, |
| concepts for potential responding agencies and | | | | you have the responsibility for accepting orders |
| organizations in order to effectively work | | | | from the Incident Commander while directing and |
| together. | | | | performing a function within a response. In order |
| The Federal Emergency Management Agency | | | | to function effectively within the system you |
| (FEMA) offers over 50 courses in conjunction with | | | | need to know how the system functions; |
| the Emergency Management Institute (EMI) | | | | particularly when the Incident Commander you |
| related to ICS. The course work that applies to | | | | take orders from is a local fire or police chief. The |
| the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary | | | | time table is critical for the required members to |
| includes ICS 100, 200, and IS 700 and 800. ICS | | | | complete the ICS courses both the Active Duty |
| 300 and 341 pertains to certain members of | | | | and Auxiliary. Keep these deadline dates in mind: |
| Team Coast Guard involved in planning during an | | | | ICS-100 by 30 June 06, ICS 200 by 30 Sept 06, |
| on-going incident. These courses are available | | | | IS 700by 30 June 06, IS 800 by 30 Sept 06. The |
| from FEMA's website. | | | | critical time table for each deadline has a |
| Who should take the ICS courses depends on | | | | ramification that includes the preclusion of Auxiliary |
| what you do to support the US Coast Guard. | | | | members to further engage in direct operational |
| Those that pledged to perform certain duties in | | | | activities with the Coast Guard. There is no |
| direct support of Coast Guard missions have gone | | | | consequence for completing courses until 30 |
| through the extensive Personnel Security process | | | | December 2007 when a member will then be |
| and have received a Direct Operational (DO) | | | | considered REYR (out of date) if courses are not |
| designation you will need to complete the ICS 100 | | | | completed. These courses are intended for all |
| and 700 series. In addition, if you are a coxswain, | | | | Auxiliary members potentially involved in response |
| pilot, team leader, National Staff member, or | | | | to incidents in a leadership role or involved in the |
| elected to a leadership role in the organization, | | | | Trident program. |
| then you will need to take ICS 200, 210, and IS | | | | |