HICS Training: Best Courses Compared for Hospitals

Hospital incident command system (HICS) training prepares hospital staff to fill ICS roles during emergencies, and the best options pair a free FEMA prerequisite (such as FEMA IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, and IS-800) with a paid, scenario-driven HICS course. This guide compares five training paths — FEMA/ASPR, CalHospitalPrepare, Atlantic Training, ResponderForge, and Vantage Point — on cost, format, and CE credit.

• HICS is a FEMA-adopted adaptation of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) Incident Command System designed specifically for hospitals and healthcare coalitions.
• The most credible HICS courses require FEMA IS-100, IS-200, IS-700 and IS-800 as prerequisites - these are free, self-paced and available at Training.fema.gov.
• Course costs range from free (FEMA, State Department of Health, hosted by Coalition) to several hundred dollars per seat for commercial e-learning with CE credit.
• The fifth edition of HICS (2014) is the current framework; The older 4th edition materials are still in circulation and should be identified when you see them.
• The HICS Incident Commander role is the most frequently tested position - it is the position that most courses base their final scenario on.
• For the Nebraska and Midwest public, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and regional health coalitions typically offer free, grant-based HICS courses.

hospital incident command system hics course

Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) courses fall into three broad categories. Choosing the right course depends on whether you need a certificate, a refresher course or a full qualification specific to the role.

Category 1: Free federal and state courses. The FEMA Independent Study Program offers IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, and IS-800 free of charge. These are the basics of ICS and NIMS, such as fema is-100 training (also known as fema ics 100 training, fema is 100 c training, fema ics training is 100, or fema gov training ics 100). They are not specific to HICS, but are a required prerequisite for almost all HICS courses. State health departments and ASPR-funded health coalitions (including those in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri) regularly host free HICS courses, often with integrated functional or tabletop practical exercises.

Category 2: Commercial e-learning. Vendors such as Atlantic Training and ResponderForge sell self-paced online HICS courses, usually with a certificate of completion and sometimes continuing education (CE) credits for nurses, doctors, or emergency managers. They are suitable for the continuous onboarding of a large number of employees on a rolling basis.

Category 3: Instructor-Led and Blended CalHospitalPrepare, Vantage Point, and many hospital systems’ own education departments offer instructor-led hospital incident command system hics training with modules specific to each position (Incident Commander, Operations, Planning, Logistics, Finance/Administration, Public Information Officer, Safety Officer, Liaison Officer). This is the gold standard for anyone truly taking on a command role.

A practical rule of thumb: If you are a bedside nurse or support staff and need basic awareness, a free course from FEMA + Coalition is enough. If you are a member of the hospital’s emergency management committee or are expected to staff the Hospital Command Center (HCC), you will need instructor-led HICS with a position-specific capstone.

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what is hospital incident command system

The Hospital Incident Command System is a standardized, scalable management framework that hospitals use to organize their response to emergencies, from a single-unit fire to a mass casualty incident and a prolonged pandemic. HICS adapts the FEMA Incident Command System to the unique structure of the healthcare system: multiple departments, credentialed clinical staff, regulatory obligations (CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule, Joint Commission), and a double reporting line for both hospital administration and public health authorities.

HICS was originally developed in California in the 1980s and has been maintained and updated nationally since. The current version is the HICS 5th Edition (2014), which aligned the framework with NIMS and introduced the Hospital Incident Command System Guidebook and a set of standardized Job Action Sheets (JAS) for each position. For those seeking to implement this, hospital incident command system hics training often incorporates foundational courses such as fema is-100 training, fema ics 100 training, fema is 100 c training, fema ics training is 100, or fema gov training ics 100.

The core idea of ​​the framework is that the normal hierarchy of a hospital is not designed for emergencies. In daily operations, a nurse manager reports to a director, who in turn reports to a CNO. In an emergency, this chain is too slow. HICS replaces it – temporarily – with a modular structure that can expand or contract depending on the complexity of the incident. For a small event, only an Incident Commander and a Logistics Section Chief might be activated. A regional disaster could activate the full command and general staff.

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what is incident command system training

Incident Command System training teaches the common terminology, modular organization, and management principles that allow multiple agencies — fire, EMS, law enforcement, public health, hospitals — to work under a single command structure during an incident. The federal standard is maintained by FEMA’s National Incident Management System (NIMS) program, and the foundational courses are the FEMA Independent Study series.

Key FEMA courses required by most hospital incident command system hics training programs are:

• IS-100 (Introduction to the Incident Command System) – the entry point; covers the structure, roles, and terminology of the ICS.
• IS-200 (Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response) - expands on IS-100 for those who may serve in a supervisory role.
• IS-700 (An Introduction to the National Incident Management System): the NIMS framework within which ICS resides.
• IS-800 (National Response Framework) – how federal, state and local response integrates.

FEMA also offers IS-100.c, the current version of IS-100 (fema is 100 c training), and IS-100.HCb, a healthcare-specific variant. The suffix “HC” denotes healthcare adaptation, which uses hospital examples throughout. The cost for fema ics 100 training is zero - all Independent Study courses are free, self-paced, and completed at training.fema.gov (fema gov training ics 100). There is no fee for the certificate of completion.

A common confusion: fema is-100 training is not the same as HICS. fema ics training is 100 teaches the generic ICS. HICS teaches how to use ICS inside a hospital with hospital-specific positions, forms, and Job Action Sheets. You need both.

hospital incident command system roles and responsibilities

HICS organizes the response into a command staff and a general staff, each with defined responsibilities and a corresponding Job Action Sheet. The structure is modular (positions are activated only when necessary), but the main functions are the same in all hospitals.

Command Staff

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• Incident Commander (IC) — has overall authority and responsibility for the response. Sets objectives, approves the Incident Action Plan (IAP), and is the single point of accountability.
• Public Information Officer (PIO) — manages communication with the media, patients’ families, and the public. Coordinates with the Joint Information Center (JIC) when one is established.
• Safety Officer — monitors safety conditions for responders and patients, has authority to halt unsafe operations, and reports directly to the IC.
• Liaison Officer — the point of contact for outside agencies: EMS, public health, law enforcement, other hospitals, and coalition partners.
• Medical/Technical Specialists — subject-matter experts (infection prevention, radiation safety, behavioral health) who advise the IC.

General Staff

• Operations Section Chief — directs the tactical response: patient care, triage, decontamination, evacuation.
• Planning Section Chief — collects and evaluates information, prepares the IAP, tracks resources, and runs the planning cycle.
• Logistics Section Chief — provides personnel, supplies, equipment, and services (including the often-underestimated role of feeding and housing staff during a prolonged incident).
• Finance/Administration Section Chief — tracks costs, manages procurement, handles compensation and claims, and documents expenses for FEMA reimbursement.

hospital incident command system hics

The Hospital Incident Command System is the healthcare-specific application of ICS maintained nationwide and aligned with NIMS. HICS provides hospitals with a common language and structure so that an Omaha hospital can seamlessly integrate with a Kansas City hospital, a county emergency operations center, and a state health department in a multi-jurisdictional response.

The framework includes standardized forms (HICS 201 Incident Briefing, HICS 202 Incident Objectives, HICS 203 Organization Assignment List, and others) that mirror FEMA’s ICS forms but are tailored to hospital operations. To master these tools, staff often pursue hospital incident command system hics training, which may include foundational courses like fema is-100 training, fema ics 100 training, or fema is 100 c training. Many professionals seek fema ics training is 100 or fema gov training ics 100 to ensure they meet national standards.

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hics stands for hospital incident command system

HICS stands for Hospital Incident Command System. The acronym is sometimes written as “HICS” and other times spelled out in full; both refer to the same framework. Not to be confused with “HEICS” (Hospital Emergency Incident Command System), the older name used in California prior to the implementation of the national HICS program. If you see “HEICS” in a course description or job posting, it is an outdated term: the current framework is HICS.

what is hics in a hospital

In a hospital, HICS is the activation framework that transforms normal operations into emergency operations. When a hospital activates HICS, it typically establishes a Hospital Command Center (HCC), a specific physical or virtual space, and assigns personnel to HICS positions based on the magnitude of the incident.

A small incident could only activate the IC and a Logistics Chief. In the event of a mass casualty event, the entire command and general staff, as well as unit-level leaders in the Emergency Department, OR, ICU, and inpatient units, could be activated. The activation level is documented on the HICS 201 Incident Briefing form and communicated to all employees.

hics incident commander role

The HICS Incident Commander is the single person with overall authority and responsibility for the hospital’s emergency response. The IC sets incident objectives, approves the Incident Action Plan, authorizes resource requests, and serves as the hospital’s primary point of accountability to administration, the board, and external authorities. In many hospitals, the IC is the Administrator on Call (AOC) or the Emergency Management Director, but the role can be filled by any trained and delegated individual. The IC does not personally direct clinical care — that’s the Operations Section Chief’s job — but the IC owns the strategic decisions: evacuate or shelter in place, surge or divert, request external resources or manage internally.

Comparing the Top HICS Training Options

Provider	Format	Cost	Prerequisites	Best For
FEMA Independent Study (IS-100.c, IS-200, IS-700, IS-800)	Self-paced online	Free	None	Baseline ICS/NIMS foundation; required prerequisite for most HICS courses
ASPR TRACIE / state health departments	Blended, instructor-led	Free (grant-funded)	FEMA IS-100/200/700/800	Healthcare coalition members; Nebraska/Midwest hospital staff
CalHospitalPrepare	Instructor-led, position-specific	Varies (often free to CA hospitals)	FEMA prerequisites	California hospitals; position-specific qualification
Atlantic Training	Self-paced e-learning	Paid per seat	None stated	Rolling onboarding of large staff numbers; CE credit
ResponderForge	Self-paced e-learning	Paid per seat	None stated	Individual learners; refresher training
Vantage Point	Instructor-led and consulting	Paid (quote-based)	FEMA prerequisites	Hospital systems building a full HICS program

How to decide: Relate the course to the role. Awareness-level employees require FEMA IS-100 training (such as FEMA IS 100 c training or FEMA gov training ICS 100) and IS-700. Command center staff require instructor-led Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) training with a position-specific capstone. Emergency managers and preparedness coordinators require the full FEMA ICS training IS 100 series plus HICS and a functional exercise. And always make sure the course reflects the HICS 5th Edition (2014) framework; if a provider is still teaching 4th edition content, ask why.

Sources & Further Reading

• Incident Command System — Wikipedia: The Incident Command System (ICS) is a standardized approach to the command, control, and coordination of emergency response providing a common hierarchy within…

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS)?

HICS is a standardized emergency management framework that hospitals use to organize their response to incidents, from small events to mass casualty disasters. It adapts the FEMA Incident Command System to healthcare, with hospital-specific positions, forms, and Job Action Sheets. The current version is the HICS 5th Edition (2014).

What does HICS stand for?

HICS stands for Hospital Incident Command System. The older term “HEICS” (Hospital Emergency Incident Command System) is a legacy name from California and has been replaced by the national HICS program. Both refer to the same underlying framework.

What is the HICS Incident Commander role?

The HICS Incident Commander has overall authority and responsibility for the hospital’s emergency response. The IC sets objectives, approves the Incident Action Plan, authorizes resources, and is the single point of accountability. The IC does not direct clinical care directly — that’s the Operations Section Chief — but owns strategic decisions like evacuation, surge, and diversion.

Is FEMA ICS 100 training free?

Yes. All FEMA Independent Study courses, including IS-100.c, IS-200, IS-700, and IS-800, are free, self-paced, and available at training.fema.gov. There is no fee for the certificate of completion. FEMA ICS 100 training cost is zero, and the courses can be completed in a few hours each.

What is the difference between ICS and HICS?

ICS (Incident Command System) is the overall all-hazards risk management framework used by firefighters, emergency medical services, law enforcement, and public health. HICS is the healthcare-specific adaptation of ICS with hospital-specific positions, hospital forms, and hospital-specific job action sheets. As a prerequisite, you need ICS training and then HICS training to apply it in a hospital.

How do I choose a HICS course for my hospital?

Relate the course to the role. Employees with awareness level require free FEMA IS-100 and IS-700. Hospital command center staff require an instructor-led HICS with a position-specific capstone and a functional exercise. Make sure the course reflects the HICS 5th Edition (2014) framework and check to see if it offers CE credits if your employees need them. For hospitals in Nebraska and the Midwest, start with your regional health coalition and Nebraska DHHS; they often offer no-cost HICS courses tied to grant funding.

Authoritative Resources

• FEMA Independent Study Program — free FEMA IS-100 training (also known as FEMA ICS 100 training, FEMA IS 100 C training, or FEMA ICS training IS 100), IS-200, IS-700, and IS-800 courses via fema.gov training ICS 100
• ASPR TRACIE — healthcare emergency preparedness resources, including Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) training and guidance
• FEMA National Incident Management System (NIMS) — the federal framework HICS aligns with
• Wikipedia: Incident Command System — background on the ICS framework

For Nebraska-specific training opportunities, contact the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Emergency Preparedness and Response program or your regional healthcare coalition.

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