Once the cards have been prepared, the following procedures are recommended:

1. If your area is prone to any of the events covered by the cards, it is suggested that all emergency communications staff review and discuss the card set for the anticipated event in advance of the normal event "season" for your city or county. Make sure to solicit comments concerning contingencies not covered by the cards, considering any quirks in the local system that might require a change in the NDIC protocol.
2. On days when the National Weather Service or your local weather information provider suggests that a serious weather event is possible, conduct shift briefings for emergency communications personnel to review the NDIC cards and discuss late information which could alter normal protocol.
3. Remember - the NDIC cards are set up to function like a "flow chart," the path of which varies according to the specific circumstances, much like Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) cards. The questions on the first card are designed to lead to the next card, where other questions more directly related to the individual inquiry are available.

PLEASE NOTE: Only those questions relevant to the specific inquiry need to be asked. The cards are structured to get the correct information to the caller in a very short time, usually less than a minute, without requiring the call-taker to memorize the information.