Date: May 11, 2006
Time: 1:00 PM EDT -- 10:00 AM PDT -- 17:00 GMT
Length: 1 hour, including Q&A
Speakers: Gary E. Seidel, Fire Chief, Hillsboro (OR) Fire Department

Overview:

As we have seen, our response to emergencies is changing, as it relates to all hazard incident management and command of emergencies. This change is in the form of a comprehensive national approach to incident management known as the National Incident Management System (NIMS)

NIMS represents a core set of doctrine, principles, terminology, and organizational processes, which are established to enable effective, efficient, and collaborative incident management at all levels.

This Webcast will focus on the incident command system (ICS) component of NIMS. ICS is a standard on-scene, all-hazards incident management system already in use by structural and wildland firefighters, hazardous materials response teams, technical rescue teams, swiftwater rescue teams, emergency medical teams, as well as law enforcement response teams. The ICS component of NIMS will serve as the standard for the incident organizational structure and in the management of all hazard incidents.

Over the years, ICS has been used in various forms. Now, with the adoption of NIMS, we need to look at the systems, processes and the impacts that are placed on us.

About the Presenters:
Gary E. Seidel
Fire Chief
Hillsboro (OR) Fire Department

Gary E. Seidel is currently the Fire Chief of Hillsboro (OR) Fire Department. He retired as an Assistant Chief with Los Angeles (CA) Fire Department, where he served for 26 years.

He has been assigned to the following noteworthy incidents:

Planning Section for the Southern California Interagency Incident Management Team 1
Task Force Leader for the California Task Force 1 - Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue (US&R)
Member of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Department of Homeland Security Working Group
FEMA US&R Incident Support Team (IST) Operations section chief, City of New York at the World Trade Center terrorist attack
Investigator for the United States Fire Administration (USFA) at the Columbine High School shooting
Planning section chief for the 2002 Utah Winter Olympics Park City incident management team
Instructor and content developer for the USFA's National Fire Academy (NFA)

Chief Seidel has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Environmental Biology, an Associate of Arts Degree in Fire Science, and is working on his Masters Degree in Organizational Development.

Chief Seidel has authored many courses and has been an international keynote speaker in the realm of command and control of emergency operations, incident command, incident management teams, urban search and rescue, swiftwater rescue, fire investigation, special operations, weapons of mass destruction, wildland fires, leadership, and management.

Webcast Sponsors:

About Informed Publishing:
Informed Publishing has been creating innovative tools for field care providers for 20 years. Starting in 1986 with the original EMT Field Guide, the most used reference guide in emergency medical services history, the company has published field reference products for EMS, fire and rescue, critical care, nursing, pediatric care, law enforcement, and homeland security. With the introduction of their newest title, NIMS: Incident Command System Field GuideT, they now offer a tangible reference tool for implementation of NIMS nationwide. http://www.informedguides.com