There are 3 intended usages for the NDIC.

The first in importance is in service training. Dispatchers should be exposed to the card sets at regular intervals (yearly) to learn the wide variety and unusual nature of the calls that come in during a natural disaster.

The second is pre-event review. On a day when the NWS puts out a statement or watch for potential significant weather the shift dispatchers should quickly review the applicable card set.

Third is real-time emergency directions. Although call rates can become overwhelming the card sets are still available should the dispatcher need them on a case by case basic during the emergency. Note the downloadable HTML version can run locally and is designed to respond very quickly.