2. atic, proactive approach for
government agencies at all
levels, nongovernment organi-
zations, and the private sector
to work seamlessly to prevent,
protect against, respond to,
recover from, and mitigate the
effects of incidents—regardless
of cause, size, location, or
complexity—to reduce the loss
of life, destruction of property,
and harm to the environment. It
gives campuses a much-needed
method of protection.
UNDERSTANDING NIMS
What It Offers
A recent report funded
through the Illinois Criminal
Justice Authority examined the
relationship between local law
enforcement and postsecondary
institutions in Illinois and across
the nation.1 One of its key find-
ings revealed that many cam-
puses have experienced critical
incidents of some sort within
September 2009 / 15
“
3. ”Chief Fazzini heads the College of DuPage
Police Department in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.
…NIMS offers a
predefined, yet
flexible, organizational
structure that can be
altered, as necessary,
to ensure maximum
effectiveness….
the past 5 years. Considering
this fact, along with the impor-
tance of NIMS to the effective
and efficient planning for or
response to an emergency inci-
dent, every college and univer-
sity should become compliant.
Institutions also can reap
important financial benefits.
Responding to and recovering
from an emergency can cost a
considerable amount of money.
Only organizations that have
implemented NIMS can recoup
any portion of such expenses
from the federal government.
Additionally, NIMS offers a
predefined, yet flexible, orga-
nizational structure that can be
altered, as necessary, to ensure
4. maximum effectiveness during
small operations or complex
responses and extended in scope
if an incident grows in size.
NIMS can adapt according to
geographical boundaries, opera-
tional function, or a combina-
tion of both.
How It Works
NIMS allocates responsibili-
ties among four main areas—
planning, operations, logistics
and administration, and finance.
Each has its own assigned
primary and secondary func-
tions that then can break down
further into branches, divisions,
groups, task forces, or strike
teams. An incident commander
is necessary in any operation,
but the positions in each of the
four realms of responsibility are
staffed only if the event dictates
the need.
The establishment of uni-
form titles, with accompanying
responsibilities, allows for an
easy-to-understand command
structure. This practice helps
emergency responders from
diverse communities work
together effectively and ef-
5. ficiently under a single banner
of operations. For instance, two
officers from fire departments
at opposite ends of a state could
understand the responsibilities
of a planning section chief.
NIMS-compliant agencies
working together all gain an
understanding of and share
common terminology and
acronyms to effectively com-
municate and accomplish
objectives. Also standardized,
the typing, or sufficiently
defining, of resources ensures
that emergency managers
request the right equipment,
supplies, and other provisions
for a particular purpose. For
example, a section chief may
need a tanker. Some personnel
instinctively may think of an
airplane tanker and others a fire
truck tanker. Standardized
typing of equipment eliminates
any potential confusion.
NIMS also employs stan-
dard forms to document differ-
ent aspects of a response. Each
department shares these same
familiar forms. Documenta-
tion of all activities records
important information, such as
7. pus’ efforts, and implement a
continual review of the system.
Accepting the System
The governing board or
authority has to adopt NIMS for
all departments and agencies. It
can accomplish this by passing
a resolution and incorporating
NIMS compliance into school
policies and procedures. The
institution’s contract specifica-
tions also may include compli-
ance language where appropri-
ate. Additionally, the authority
should encourage the school’s
nongovernment associates to
pursue compliance.
Training All Personnel
Next, staff members must
undergo NIMS training, which
consists of various incident
command system (ICS) classes,
the level of which depends on
the nature of the involvement
they will have during a crisis
response. Currently, six basic
ICS classes exist that various
members of the campus need
to take. Personnel can complete
several courses, ICS-100:
Introduction to the Incident
8. Command System; ICS-200:
ICS for Single Resources and
Initial Action Incidents; IS-700:
National Incident Management
System (NIMS), an Introduc-
tion; and IS-800: National
Response Plan (NRF), an
Introduction, independently
through the Internet. They must
take ICS-300: Intermediate ICS
and ICS-400: Advanced ICS in
a classroom setting. These two
classes provide the fundamen-
tals of using the standard forms,
and students work through
several scenarios to familiarize
themselves on how the entire
NIMS system works.
Individuals who will make
major decisions during an
emergency and who may act,
perhaps, as an incident com-
mander or section chief need to
complete all six basic classes.
Personnel who will serve as
support for the highest level of
decision making should take at
least the 100, 200, 700, and 800
courses. All administrators and
supervisors should gain a famil-
iarity with the NIMS system by
completing classes 100 and 700.
Some members of the incident
management team also may
9. want to take other specialized
courses; for instance, the public
information officer may want to
complete IS-702: NIMS Public
Information.
As a way to reduce costs,
institutions may wish to have
designated staff members attend
train-the-trainer classes. This
September 2009 / 17
NIMS Continuum of Compliance
Continual Review
Testing
Plan
Develop
Plan Training
governing
Board
Acceptance
will give the agency its own
in-house instructors to teach
additional personnel while hav-
ing less impact on the budget.
Further, staff then could receive
training on-site, rather than tak-
10. ing time off to attend courses
away from the campus. Not
only would training time be
reduced but institutions could
eliminate transportation costs
to other locations.
Developing a Plan
The campus must imple-
ment an all-hazard emergency
operations plan that works hand
in hand with the NIMS system.
To develop the plan, the institu-
tion should form a committee
with membership from all con-
stituents, including police and
fire personnel. For additional
assistance, authorities can refer
to the Internet, where many
colleges have their plans avail-
able, for examples and consult
with county or state emergency
management officials. After
finalizing the plan, the com-
mittee must distribute it to all
campus administrators, area
police and fire departments, and
the local emergency manage-
ment office.
Testing the Plan
Also important, the insti-
tution—along with such com-
munity partners as local police,
11. fire, and other agencies—tests
the plan. Including the other
constituents helps ensure their
knowledge of the plan and,
thus, the effectiveness of a criti-
cal incident response should a
real situation occur. Involved
campus entities should consist
of members of the incident
management team (IMT) and,
perhaps, IMT alternates, public
relations staff, counselors, and
other campus leaders.
Different methods of testing
exist. Tabletop exercises often
are the most preferred. In these,
participants, including the IMT,
formulate a response to given
scenarios. The sessions last
from a few hours to all day, de-
pending on the amount of time
allocated for training.
A functional exercise can
test a particular component of
the emergency operations plan.
For instance, phones and radios
could be used to test the com-
munication system established
for an emergency command
center (EOC). Personnel can set
up these systems beforehand to
eliminate the time needed to do
so during the test. These exer-
13. multiple methods to ensure their
plans are current and functional.
Testing of emergency response
plans must occur to know
whether or not they will work.
Over time, procedures and
resources will change. Only by
conducting exercises and mock
drills can institutions make sure
their plans stay current.
College Of DuPage’s
Exercises
Deciding to collaborate with
other community partners to im-
prove its response capabilities,
the College of DuPage joined
with three neighboring villag-
es—Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, and
Winfield—to form the Tri-City
Crisis Response Group, initially
developed to operate a medical
distribution site at the campus
in the event of a terrorist inci-
dent. Now, the group exists to
respond to incidents that threat-
en to overwhelm the resources
of any one of the participating
communities. To further this
effort, the college outfitted a
computer laboratory with 30
phone lines, Internet access, and
cable television to function as
14. an EOC for the group. In the
event of an activation, person-
nel move a storage box loaded
with phones, signs, manuals,
and maps into the EOC. The
group regularly meets and trains
together. It dramatically has
increased the response capabil-
ity of any one of the individual
partners.
During 2008, the College of
DuPage planned or participated
in four exercises testing emer-
gency plans in place. In Febru-
ary, it took part in a functional
exercise with the DuPage
County Homeland Security
Office. In May, the college,
along with the Tri-City Crisis
Response Group, conducted a
full-scale exercise to test the
command structure of the
group. In July, because of its
status as one of the county’s
medical distribution sites in the
event of a terrorist act, the
College of DuPage participated
in a mock drill using over 200
individuals to test medical
distribution capabilities on-site.
In August, it worked with a
local high school to test the
college’s ability to evacuate all
of the high school students and
staff to one of its buildings.
15. Monitoring the Process
Constant monitoring and
review represents the final and
ongoing component of the
NIMS compliance continuum.
http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/
A Comprehensive Source of Information About NIMS
September 2009 / 19
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Training, plan development, and
testing comprise a continual
process. At a minimum, institu-
tions should review and test the
plan annually. The emergency
operations plan is a living
document needing regular
attention. Many details, includ-
17. ing phone numbers, building
layouts, and personnel changes,
need updating at least annually.
CONCLUSION
Unfortunately, unthinkable
events can happen anywhere,
even on the campuses of institu-
tions of higher learning. Con-
sidering this threat, along with
the benefits NIMS offers, every
college and university should
become compliant. And, cam-
pus authorities have ready
sources of help, including not
only online resources but
departments responsible for
emergency management—these
offer a wealth of assistance and
are located in every state and
most counties.
The National Incident
Management System is instru-
mental to effective emergency
responses, large or small. It can
help campus authorities plan for
a concert, athletic competition,
high-profile visitor, or other
event. Most important, it helps
keep students, faculty, and
facilities safe.
19. Conclusion: If you follow your ABCs, you can be a real life-
saver.
Minimal Outline Sample
The following outline is minimally acceptable and would get a
grade of no more than C. While
an outline like this is not the best one to turn in for an outline in
this class, it may be useful to
actually deliver a speech from such a “speaking outline,” once
you are very familiar with the
much more detailed formal outline.
Introduction:
Attention-getting introduction: Imagine finding someone lying
on the ground who was not
breathing. Would you know what to do to save them? I can
teach you easy steps for performing
CPR.
Body:
Main Point #1: Airway
A. Tilt head back
B. Look
C. Listen
20. D. Feel
Main Point #2: Breathing
A. Close nose
B. Open mouth
C. Blow air
Main Point #3: Circulation
A. Check pulse
B. External chest compressions
Conclusion: If you follow your ABCs, you will be a real life-
saver.
Exemplary Outline Sample
Following the format for a “best practices” formal outline like
the one below would not only
likely earn an A for the assignment, but it would be of the most
use to you in helping you
practice your presentation for optimal delivery. Note that some
parts in the introduction and
conclusion are written verbatim and that each main point
contains supporting material that is also
written in complete sentences. References to cited material
21. from credible outside sources are
included and formatted using the APA guidelines. Transitions
are provided as well.
Title: The ABCs of CPR
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience of the simple steps
needed to properly perform CPR
Audience: General audience
Organizational Pattern: Sequential design
I. Introduction:
A. Attention-getting introduction: Imagine walking down the
street and you see someone
collapse. You approach them and notice that they are not
breathing. This person
needs CPR.
B. Thesis statement: Although it may seem complicated or
scary, knowing how to
perform CPR is as easy as ABC.
C. Establish credibility: I became certified in CPR five years
ago and am confident to
share this important information with you here today.
D. Preview the Body: Today, I will inform you of how to
perform CPR by teaching you
the ABCs of CPR – A is for airway, B is for breathing, and C is
for circulation.
Transition from Introduction to Main Point #1: To begin
performing CPR, the first thing you
22. have to do is check the victim’s airway.
II. Body:
A. Main point #1: A is for Airway.
1. According to the Mayo Clinic website, (2014) you will need
to clear the
victim’s airway.
a. To do so, push down on the victim’s forehead with one hand.
b. With the other hand, gently lift the victim’s chin and tilt their
head
back.
2. After opening the airway, there are several signs that you
should check for.
a. Look to see if the victim’s chest is moving.
b. Listen for the sound of breathing.
c. Feel for their breath on your cheek.
Transition from Main Point #1 to Main Point #2: If there are no
signs that the person is breathing
on their own, you will need to move onto the next step of CPR.
B. Main Point #2: B is for Breathing.
1. If the person is not breathing, you should use the mouth-to-
mouth technique
of rescue breathing.
23. 2. Begin by securing the victim’s head in your hands.
a. Using the hand that you have placed on the victim’s forehead,
pinch the
victim’s nose shut.
b. Continue using the other hand to keep the person’s chin lifted
up.
3. Once the head is secure begin breathing into the victim’s
mouth.
a. Make sure to form an airtight seal with your mouth on the
victim’s mouth.
b. Immediately give two full breaths into the victim’s mouth
(American Red
Cross, 2014).
Transition from Main Point #2 to Main Point #3: After
breathing into the victim’s mouth, you
will need to move on to the final step in the CPR process.
C. Main point #3: C is for Circulation.
1. You will need to find the victim’s pulse to see if their heart
is still beating.
a. Use the hand that you were using to lift their chin and find
the victim’s
Adam’s apple.
b. Place the tips of your fingers against their Adam’s apple and
feel for a
pulse.
24. 2. If you cannot find a pulse, you will need to provide artificial
circulation.
a. External chest compression is a form of artificial circulation.
b. Performing artificial circulation will force the heart to pump
blood.
3. There are several things you need to do in order to perform
external chest
compressions properly.
a. Make sure to kneel besides the victim’s chest.
b. Use your middle and index fingers to find where the bottom
rims of
the victim’s two rib cages meet.
c. Put the heel of one hand on the victim’s breastbone.
d. Place your other hand on top of the first one.
e. With your shoulders facing directly over the victim’s
sternum, press
down on the victim’s chest while keep your arms straight.
4. According to the American Heart Association (2010), you
should apply
compressions at a rate of at least 100 compressions per minute.
5. Continue this routine until the person begins breathing on
their own or a
medical professional arrives to help.
25. Transition from Main Point #3 to Conclusion: As you can see,
performing CPR is as easy as
ABC.
III. Conclusion:
A. Summarize main points: If you remember that A is for
airway, B is for breathing, and C
is for circulation, you will be successful in performing CPR.
B. End with memorable fact or statement: With just three simple
steps, you now have the
tools to be a real life-saver.
**Do not forget to include a reference page at the end of your
outline which includes the list
of all the outside sources that you have cited in your outline**
Week 4 Assignment Template
Persuasive Presentation Outline (6 – 7 minute)
(Include at least one citation to a credible outside source for
every main point you create.)
Title:
Specific Purpose: To persuade…
Audience:
Organizational Pattern:
26. I. Introduction:
A. Gain audience's attention with fact, question, or profound
statement
B. Thesis Statement
C. Appeal to the Audience
D. Establish Credibility
E. Preview the body (statement should include all main points
in the order that you
will discuss them in the body of your presentation)
II. Body:
A. Main Point #1
1. Subpoint
2. Subpoint
a. Sub-subpoint
b. Sub-subpoint
A. Main Point #2
1. Subpoint
2. Subpoint
3. Subpoint
B. Main Point #3
1. Subpoint
2. Subpoint
III. Conclusion:
A. Summarize main points
B. End with memorable fact or statement
