In November 2017, FEMA published the following series of National Incident Management System (NIMS) resources to assist jurisdictions and organizations in providing and receiving mutual aid.

The NIMS Guideline for Mutual Aid, posted below, provides an overview of common mutual aid practices, defines common terminology and processes, and describes an approach for creating legal agreements and operational plans.

The NIMS Guideline for the National Qualification System, posted below, describes the components of a qualification and certification system, defines a process for certifying the qualifications of incident personnel, describes how to implement a peer review process, and provides an introduction to credentialing personnel. The National Qualification System is intended for use by all levels of government and organizations, including private sector entities and non-governmental organizations with incident management and support responsibilities.

The NIMS Job Titles/Position Qualifications, accessible via FEMA's website, define minimum qualifications for personnel serving in specific incident management and support positions.

The NIMS Position Task Books (PTBs), accessible via FEMA's website, identify the competencies, behaviors, and tasks that personnel should demonstrate to become qualified for a defined incident management or support position.

The NIMS Job Titles/Position Qualifications and Resource Typing Definitions other than NQS, accessible via FEMA's website, define minimum qualifications and capabilities for personnel and their equipment within their assigned teams to manage all threats and hazards, regardless of the incident’s cause or size.