FARMINGTON – County Emergency Management Director Tim Hardy is hoping a new data collection system will help keep track of people completing necessary national incident management training.

The president required the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to develop and administer a national incident management system in an effort to provide a consistent nationwide approach for government entities including federal, state and local to work together more effectively and efficiently to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size or complexity.

In order to receive emergency preparedness grants, entities applying must be in compliance with National Incident Management System training.

Those entities that offer preparedness grant funding include Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Justice, U.S. Fire Administration and Department of Education.

The database known as the National Incident Management System Capability Assessment Support Tool is a self-assessment instrument for state, local, tribal, and private-sector and nongovernmental organizations to evaluate their jurisdiction’s ability to effectively be prepared, prevent, respond and recover from domestic incidents, according NIMS Web site.

There are only a few certificates of training completed in his files, Hardy said Wednesday, so he doesn’t know how many people are trained in Franklin County.

Hardy and Assistant EMA Director Olive Toothaker have set up a NIMSCAST database to collect training information and he’s hoping once it goes online, towns and other entities will take part in the program so information may be compiled to determine who is trained and who needs to be.

There are different levels of training required depending on what sector a person is in.

Since 2003, the county and municipalities have received more than $600,000 in grant funds that have also benefited schools and the hospital. The money has provided new generators for shelters, including school buildings and fire stations, communication equipment for local fire departments, law enforcement and the hospital and hazardous material and special operations response equipment for the county, Hardy said.

The county used $300,000 in grant money to upgrade communication equipment at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Dispatch Center.

The free training takes about 60 to 90 minutes and can be taken online or in classroom setting, he said.

The town of Strong is looking to host an IS 100 training class in the future, he added.

“If we have an incident, everybody will be able to work together and have knowledge of what each jurisdiction is doing,” Hardy said, noting that’s a major benefit of the training.

Jay police and highway crew have taken some NIMS training and Jay Town Manager Ruth Marden said she has also taken training but needs more.

Some of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department and Franklin County Detention Center employees have also completed training.

Franklin County Clerk Julie Magoon and Treasurer Karen Robinson plan to take the training online.

Is the county ready for a major disaster?

“I think we’re making progress but there are still some areas that we need to direct attention to,” Hardy said.