National Incident Management System (NIMS) | ICS 700 begins with an introduction to what and why of the National Incident Management System.  The course then further discusses  the underlaying reason for the need and principles of  such a system. The course further discusses the organization of such a system, handling resources and how it interconnects with other command and coordination structures like Emergency organisation center, Joint Information System , and Multiagency Coordination Groups.

The course is divided into the following eight units, plus the Course Introduction:

• Course Introduction
• Unit 1: Fundamentals and Concepts of NIMS
• Unit 2: NIMS Resource Management
• Unit 3: NIMS Management Characteristics
• Unit 4: Incident Command System (ICS)
• Unit 5: Emergency Operations Centers (E O C)
• Unit 6: Other NIMS Structures and Interconnectivity
• Unit 7: Communications and Information Management
• Unit 8: Course Summary

An excerpt from National Incident Management System (NIMS) | ICS 700

Effective accountability during incident operations is essential. As part of the Incident Command System (ICS) structure, you will need to abide by agency policies and guidelines and any applicable rules and regulations.

There are several principles you will need to adhere to:

• Check-In/Check-Out. All responders must report in to receive an assignment. Checking out is just as critical as checking
• Incident Action Response operations must be coordinated as outlined in the Incident Action Plan.
• Unity of Each individual will be assigned to only one supervisor.
• Personal I C S relies on each individual taking personal accountability for his or her own actions.
• Span of Supervisors must be able to adequately supervise and control their subordinates, as well as communicate with and manage all resources under their supervision.
• Resource Supervisors must record and report resource status changes as they occur. Accountability starts as soon as a resource is requested through the time that the resource returns to their home base safely.

In addition to the incident, personal accountability is critical to response success. Each member is responsible for maintaining situational awareness of their environment, as well as reporting safety concerns to the chain of command.