GlossaryEmergency management
Resource typing
Resource typing is defining and grouping incident resources by their capabilities using an identified standard.
Resource typing is defining and grouping incident resources by their capabilities using an identified standard. It gives requesters and providers a common description of what a resource can do. The type is meaningful only within its particular resource definition; a number alone does not explain a team's complete qualifications or availability.
What a typed request means
FEMA's Resource Typing Library Tool provides definitions that specify minimum criteria and capabilities. A resource description can address personnel, equipment, training, or other requirements relevant to its function.
For a reader, the practical question is which definition the record uses. Similar unit names do not guarantee identical capability. A local label may also resemble a national type without documenting that the national criteria have been met.
Example
Hypothetical example: A county requests a rescue team under a named typing definition. A provider offers a team with a similar name but documents a different capability level. The request and offer need to be reconciled before the resources can be treated as equivalent.
The example concerns matching capability to a request. It does not establish that one team is universally better or worse. Different capabilities can suit different assignments, and actual availability is a separate question.
Common confusion
“Kind” identifies the general category of resource; “type” describes a capability level under the chosen definition. A personnel head count alone does not supply the complete type.
Typing a team is also different from credentialing an individual. A resource definition may include personnel qualifications, but the team and individual records serve different purposes.
Source and version
Look for the resource title, definition version, minimum criteria, and any jurisdiction-specific additions. Do not compare type numbers across unrelated resource categories as if they were one universal ranking. A typed-resource inventory also does not show how many resources are ready for deployment at a given moment.