Initial Training
Basic Incident Command System (ICS) courses
All emergencies in the US and many other countries are managed using the
Incident Command System. There are four introductory on-line courses for
ICS. Completing these is highly encouraged for participation in ARES. The
courses are:
ICS-100: An Introduction to the Incident Command System
ICS-200: Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response
ICS-700: An Introduction to the National Incident Management System
ICS-800: National Response Framework, An Introduction
When you complete a course, you are immediately able to download a PDF
completion certificate. Please send a copy to Al Simons, WA1TYB.
These courses are occasionally revised; e.g., ICS-100 is now on revision “c”.
(The revision letter is in the URLs, above.) Completion of any version of a course is acceptable. However, if you completed a previous version of the course we encourage you to retake it, especially if you completed the course more than a few years ago.
Advanced Incident Command System Courses
There are two advanced ICS courses of interest to hams seeking more
understanding of emergency management and communication operations under ICS. They are:
- AUXCOMM: This is a two or three-day, in-person, course, detailing how Auxiliary Communicators, i.e., hams, operate in a Communications Unit (COMU) in an emergency.
- ICS-300: Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents. This is a three-day, in-person, course that goes into much more detail about Incident Management under ICS than do the four basic on-line courses.
These two courses are given infrequently in Montana. Please contact Al Simons (WA1TYB) for information about availability if you are interested in learning more.