Getting your NIMS on...

[JoeTomasone]

Around these parts we took a significant hit in the number of qualified personnel in almost all specialties who hadn't gotten the required ICS classes done before 1 January.    In reviewing the missing classes, the overwhelming majority were missing ICS 700.   This is no big surprise since all of the lower-level qualifications that most people like to qualify in require it (such as GTM3 and UDF).   Now the big question is -- how are you ES Officers and Commanders addressing the issue?   Is it working?

[jimmydeanno]

In all honesty, we just said, "If you want to keep your qualification, do this."  They all did.

[Eclipse]

Whining, crying, stamping feet, begging, threatening, bribing...

At the end of the day the active ones got it done early, the marginal ones keep making promises, and the inactive couldn't care less, and won't until the night before there's a mission they want to participate in, or if they get triple-zero'ed.

[Ricochet13]

Around these parts we took a significant hit in the number of qualified personnel in almost all specialties who hadn't gotten the required ICS classes done before 1 January.    In reviewing the missing classes, the overwhelming majority were missing ICS 700.   This is no big surprise since all of the lower-level qualifications that most people like to qualify in require it (such as GTM3 and UDF).   Now the big question is -- how are you ES Officers and Commanders addressing the issue?   Is it working?

The squadron stood down from regular training to allow members to complete mainly IS-700.   Needed to do this as mostly new members could not complete any additional training until this pre-requisite was completed.  Within that time frame all members completed this training.  The squadron now makes this a requirement to join.  Complete IS-100 & IS-700 and then a new member's application is forwarded to CAP-NHQ.

[RiverAux]

Our wing took a hit but hasn't really done anything noticable to fix it.  However, I do think someone took the time to browbeat almost all of our mission pilots into getting qualified (they're over 90% compliant).  Across most qualifications, it looks like the NIMS requirements reduced mission-capable personnel by about 20-30%. 

[ZigZag911]

Our wing took a hit but hasn't really done anything noticable to fix it.  However, I do think someone took the time to browbeat almost all of our mission pilots into getting qualified (they're over 90% compliant).  Across most qualifications, it looks like the NIMS requirements reduced mission-capable personnel by about 20-30%. 

I wonder -- were these active ES participants? Or folks who held quals on paper, but hadn't done a mission in years?

[Al Sayre]

Whining, crying, stamping feet, begging, threatening, bribing...

At the end of the day the active ones got it done early, the marginal ones keep making promises, and the inactive couldn't care less, and won't until the night before there's a mission they want to participate in, or if they get triple-zero'ed.

We had the same result, but an actual SAR Mission on 3 January woke a whole lot of people up when I told them to stay home until they had it done.

[ltcmark]

We downloaded all the course material from FEMA for the 100 and 700, including the test.  One meeting the 100 was covered the next the 700.  As we went through the PowerPoint presentations everyone had a copy of the test to complete.

Next step was for everyone to get online and take the test for real.  All the active, qualified people are at 100% completion now.

It took a couple of weeks, but it is done.

[RiverAux]

I wonder -- were these active ES participants? Or folks who held quals on paper, but hadn't done a mission in years?

By definition they had all done at least one mission recently or they wouldn't still have the qualification.  But, as you know there is no accepted standard for juding who is, or is not, an "active" ES participant. 

[Pingree1492]

Something that worked for some of my qualified cadets:

We had a page come out for Ground Teams to stand-by.  I happened to be the Alert Officer for that week, so after getting a "real" GT ready, I started calling all the folks that needed to still complete IS 700, basically telling them to stand-by for the mission, gave them the brief, got them all excited about the call-out,  then went... "oh, no... Looking at your quals, you haven't completed XX... hey, if you can do it in the next XX minutes, you can still come out!"

I had 3 complete the course that night.  Of course, we all ended up just "standing-by" all night on the page, but it got a few through the course, so wasn't all bad.

[proveritas]

I gotta agree with JimmyDeano.

You want to play, you need IS700. End of story. It goes with the territory. 

[NavLT]

I concur with the "Get it done or stay home".  Real professionals don't need to be led to required training.

At our last wing SAREX where the Base I was at checked quals we had to send multiple Ground teams and A/C's home. It should prove to be a wake up call to the wing staff, that have always waved the paper #s in the air, as to who really is up to the challenge. Maybe now the wing will look at those who were ready and plan responses accordingly.

[capchiro]

Ricochet13 noted: "The squadron stood down from regular training to allow members to complete mainly IS-700.   Needed to do this as mostly new members could not complete any additional training until this pre-requisite was completed.  Within that time frame all members completed this training.  The squadron now makes this a requirement to join.  Complete IS-100 & IS-700 and then a new member's application is forwarded to CAP-NHQ."

I take exception to adding additional requirements prior to accepting and forwarding a potential members application.  I find this is in direct contradiction to all CAP Reg's.  You can't just go making up Reg's at a lower unit and enforce them.  You guys/gals are looking for an IG problem or worse yet a law suit that will claim you are prejudice against some person because the National Reg's don't require such a procedure.  Quit thinking outside the box and color within the lines.  Jeeesh..

[RiverAux]

I agree that it is insane to require that even before sending someone's paperwork in.