The Homeland Security Act of 2002 provided the authority for the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It also directed the Director of DHS to create a National Incident Management System (NIMS). Published in 2004, NIMS formed the framework for detection, mitigation, response and recovery from manmade and natural occurring disasters, events and incidents of national significance within the United States, its territories, protectorates and Indian Tribal nations. NIMS provided the framework for the creation of the National Response Plan (NRP), also published in 2004. The National Response Plan is an all-hazards, all-agencies approach to the detection, mitigation, response and recovery from disasters, whether natural or manmade events and incidents of national significance. A little known provision of NIMS created a classification system for all disaster-related resources. This classification system, the National Resource Typing System (NRTS) provides a unified cross-agency, cross-jurisdictional means of classifying all resources that are or could be used in response to a NRP/NIMS event, whether these resources are equipment or personnel.
The lack of large scale United States disasters in 2006 has given the NIMS Implementation Center the opportunity to begin the long over due process of developing a NRTS classification for physicians and other healthcare professionals. Desiring to contribute to the public discourse on a physician typing system that can serve as a model for typing all healthcare professionals, High Alert, LLC undertook a review of NRP, NIMS, NDMS, VA, AHCA and GSA/GAO documents. Based on this review, we believe the following typing system would be in compliance with existing systems and provide the least resistance to integration as required under NIMS, NRP and the Homeland Security Act.
The High Alert, LLC Recommended Typing System:
Physicians are specialty certified by one of three examination boards:
The American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS/AAPS)
The American Board of Medical Specialties (AMA/ABMS)
The American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
Type I Physician:
Qualifications:
Board certified/board eligible in disaster medicine by the ABPS/AAPS, AMA/ABMS and/or AOA
At least one year field experience in disaster medicine.
Type II Physician:
Qualifications:
Board certified/board eligible in disaster medicine by the ABPS/AAPS, AMA/ABMS and/or AOA
Less than one year field experience in disaster medicine.
Type III Physician:
Qualifications:
Board certified/board eligible in any ABPS/AAPS, AMA/ABMS and/or AOA specialty or board of certification other than disaster medicine
At Least one year field experience in disaster medicine.
Type IV Physician:
Qualifications:
Board certified/board eligible in any ABPS/AAPS, AMA/ABMS and/or AOA specialty or board of certification other than disaster medicine
Less than one year field experience in disaster medicine.
Type V Physician:
Qualifications:
Board certified/board eligible in any non-ABSP/AAPS, non-AMA/ABMS and non-AOA specialty or board of certification;
At Least one year field experience in disaster medicine.
Type VI Physician:
Qualifications:
Board certified/board eligible in any non-ABSP/AAPS, non-AMA/ABMS and non-AOA specialty or board of certification;
Less than one year field experience in disaster medicine.
Type VII Physician:
Any Non-board certified/non-board eligible physician with at least one year field experience in disaster medicine.
Type VIII Physician:
Any non-board certified/non-board eligible physician with less than one year field experience in disaster medicine.
Type IX Physician:
Graduate Physician in training.
Type X Physician:
Undergraduate Physician (Medical Student) in training.
