The National Incident Management System (NIMS) set forth a number of guidelines for incidents being responded to and managed during a crisis, deriving from the Homeland Security directive number 5. The NIMS structure is based highly on the Incident Command System (ICS) that was established in the 1970s as a result of a wildfire in California. After the situation ended and was evaluated, it was found that the amount of damage and deaths caused by the wildfire could have been significantly reduced if there was a uniform communication and command structure in place. Thus, the ICS was established to prevent emergencies from getting out of hand because of communication and structural issues, something that should never happen.

Today, training for the Incident Command System (ICS) is handled through a system of courses spanning across five years. The National Integration Center (NIC) is an organization that maintains the training program for emergency protocol during a crisis. The NIC has a goal of spreading NIMS education and training for all emergency management and response efforts by individuals on a executive, managerial, or first-hand level. The NIC has also established a set of minimum requirements that each emergency personnel are required to have before responding or preventing emergency situations.

The training program is comprised of a core curriculum of courses that range from beginner to advanced. These courses train individuals to meet standards for NIMS and ICS protocols. Two vital courses in the training program are ICS 100 and ICS 800.

ICS 100:
ICS is an essential course that helps individuals learn the basics of the NIMS/ICS protocol. ICS 100 clearly identifies the relationship between NIMS and ICS while describing the history and features they include. The following positions are recommended to take the course:

First-line Supervisor (Sergeant/Lieutenant), Mid-level management (Captain/Shift Commander) and command (Battalion Chief/Division Chief/District Commander/PIO) and general staff (Operations/Planning/Logistics/Finance-Admin).

ICS 100 is a course that can be taken entirely online if an individual decides to, but in some cases, all the paperwork and materials can be downloaded from the internet so that he or she can attend a classroom session or group meeting. Agencies qualified to provide the ICS 100 are on the Federal, State, tribal, and local level. Private organizations can also administer the ICS 100 if they are certified to do so.

ICS 800:
ICS 800 is a course for emergency response and prevention workers can take which introduces participants to the National Response Framework, including principles and concepts that it contains. At the end of ICS 800, the participant will be well versed in the following information:

* Why the National Response Framework was established;
* The response doctrine outlined by the National Response Framework;
* The National Response Framework roles and responsibilities of all entities within an emergency situation;
* What actions aid in a national response to a crisis;
* How multiagency coordination is established;
* How planning and national preparedness go hand-in-hand.

ICS 800 is intended for executives, private and nongovernmental organization leaders, and emergency management personnel. ICS 800 is generally administered in a classroom setting, and is taught in a total span of eight hours.