NIMS Preparedness 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which organization is primarily responsible for developing and maintaining the National Preparedness System?
- U.S. Department of Defense
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (Correct answer)
- Department of Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis
- National Guard Bureau
Correct answer: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
FEMA is the lead federal agency for developing and maintaining the National Preparedness System under Presidential Policy Directive 8 (PPD-8).
Question 2: A 'preparedness cycle' in NIMS is best represented as:
- A linear process that begins with planning and ends with response
- A continuous loop of Plan → Organize/Equip → Train → Exercise → Evaluate/Improve (Correct answer)
- A one-time event triggered only when a new threat is identified
- A federal review process conducted every four years
Correct answer: A continuous loop of Plan → Organize/Equip → Train → Exercise → Evaluate/Improve
The preparedness cycle is a continuous process where planning, organizing, training, exercising, evaluating, and improving feed back into each other.
Question 3: Which type of exercise provides the most realistic test of an organization's preparedness by deploying actual resources and personnel in the field?
- Seminar
- Tabletop exercise
- Full-scale exercise (Correct answer)
- Workshop
Correct answer: Full-scale exercise
Full-scale exercises are the most comprehensive discussion- and operations-based exercises, deploying actual resources and personnel to simulate real incident conditions.
Question 4: Which federal policy directive provides the foundation for the National Preparedness Goal and the National Preparedness System?
- Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 (HSPD-5)
- Presidential Policy Directive 8 (PPD-8) (Correct answer)
- National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 (NSPM-2)
- Executive Order 13618
Correct answer: Presidential Policy Directive 8 (PPD-8)
PPD-8, signed in 2011, directed the development of the National Preparedness Goal and the National Preparedness System to strengthen national preparedness.
Question 5: A Corrective Action Plan (CAP) developed after an exercise is MOST useful for:
- Documenting the names of personnel who participated in the exercise
- Tracking improvements to capabilities identified as deficient during the exercise (Correct answer)
- Notifying the public of lessons learned from the exercise
- Requesting federal reimbursement for exercise costs
Correct answer: Tracking improvements to capabilities identified as deficient during the exercise
A CAP documents specific corrective actions, assigns responsibility, and establishes timelines for addressing deficiencies identified during exercises or real incidents.
Question 6: In NIMS, credentialing of personnel refers to:
- Issuing government identification cards to all emergency management staff
- The administrative process of authenticating and verifying personnel qualifications and authorizing access (Correct answer)
- A federal licensing requirement for all incident commanders
- Background check procedures for volunteers during declared disasters
Correct answer: The administrative process of authenticating and verifying personnel qualifications and authorizing access
Credentialing involves authenticating that personnel have the training, experience, and qualifications needed to perform specific roles and authorizing their access to incident facilities.
Question 7: Which element of preparedness ensures that emergency plans are coordinated with private sector entities, nongovernmental organizations, and community partners?
- Resource management
- Whole community engagement (Correct answer)
- Incident command integration
- Operational coordination
Correct answer: Whole community engagement
Whole community engagement ensures that planning incorporates the perspectives, capabilities, and needs of all community stakeholders, including businesses, NGOs, and residents.
NIMS Preparedness 5
Which organization is primarily responsible for developing and maintaining the National Preparedness System?