National Incident Management
System – A Brief Overview
Neil Kennedy
Emergency Planning, Risk & Security Coordinator
What will we discuss?
• BRIEF Overview of HSPD-5
• Partnership of NRP and NIMS
• Principles and Policy of NIMS
• Core Concepts of NIMS
• Core Concept Focus: ICS
• Next Steps
• Questions
HSPD-5: Management of Domestic Incidents
HSPD-5 Objectives:
– Single comprehensive national approach
• Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Recovery
– Ensure all levels of government and private
sector work together
• Effective communications
– Integrate crisis and consequence management
– DHS Secretary as the principal Federal official
for domestic incident management
HSPD-5 Implementation
Develop and administer:
– National Incident Management System
(NIMS)
• Core set of concepts, principles and terminology for
incident command and multi-agency coordination
– National Response Plan (NRP)
• All-discipline, all-hazards plan
• Integrates best practices from incident management
disciplines (fire, PW, LE, health & safety, etc.) into a
unified structure
• Will soon be replaced by the National Response
Framework (more user friendly)
Is NIMS really needed?
YES.
NIMS provides a consistent nationwide
template allowing Federal, State,
tribal & local governments, private
sector, and NGOs to work together
effectively.
It brings order out of CHAOS
Principles of NIMS
• Provides a flexible framework,
facilitating government and private
entities at all levels to work together
to manage any domestic incident
• Establishes a set of standardized
organizational structures including
requirements for processes,
procedures, and systems to improve
interoperability
Who is Required to use NIMS?
• Federal Departments and
Agencies
• State Agencies
• Local Responders
• Private Industry
NIMS Policy – Federal Level
• The Secretary is the principal Federal official for domestic
incident management.
• The Secretary is responsible for coordinating operations to
prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks,
major disasters and other emergencies.
• The Secretary will coordinate federal resources when one of
the following occurs:
– A Federal agency has requested the assistance of the
Secretary,
– State and local resources are overwhelmed and assistance has
been requested,
– More then one Federal agency is involved in a response, or
– The Secretary has been directed to assume responsibility by
the President
NIMS Core Concepts
– Command and Management
• Incident Command System
• Multi-Agency Coordination Systems
• Public Information Systems
– Preparedness
• Planning, training & exercising
• Mutual aid agreements
– Resource Management
• Resource typing
– Communications & Information Management
• Interoperable communications
• Information flow and management
– Supporting Technologies
• Communication & information management systems
– Ongoing Management & Maintenance
• NIMS Integration Center
Core Concepts of NIMS
• Incident Command System
– IS100, IS200 & IS700 (all responders,
available online)
– IS300 and IS400 (EOC staff, classroom
only)
• Communications and Information
Management
– Standardized communications
– Interoperable communications
Core Concepts of NIMS
• Preparedness
– Planning
– Training
– Exercises
– Qualification and certification
– Equipment acquisition and certification
Core Concepts of NIMS
• Joint Information System (JIS)
– Provides the public with timely, accurate, and
unified incident information
– Uses Joint Information Centers (JIC) to allow
PIO’s to develop, coordinate and deliver a
unified message.
– Ensures that Federal, state and local
governments are releasing a uniform message.
Core Concepts of NIMS
• NIMS Integration Center
– Assess proposed changes to NIMS
– Capture and evaluate lessons learned
– Provide strategic direction and oversight of NIMS
– Develop and facilitate national standards for
• NIMS education and training
• First responder communications and equipment
• Typing of resources
• Qualification and credentialing of incident
management and response personnel
• Standardization of equipment maintenance and
resources.
Core Concept Focus:
Incident Command System (ICS)
• The ICS system is used to manage an
emergency incident or a non-emergency
event. It can be used equally well for both
small and large events.
• The system has considerable internal
flexibility. It can grow or shrink to meet
different or changing needs. The system
can be applied to a wide variety of
emergency and non-emergency situations.
ICS Features
• ICS Organization
• Incident Facilities
• The Incident Action Plan
• Span of Control
• Common Responsibilities
• Provides accountability of resources
ICS Organization
• COMMAND
– Has the overall responsibility at the incident or event
• OPERATIONS
– Directs all resources
– Conducts tactical operations to carry out the plan
• PLANNING
– Develops the action plan to accomplish the objective
• LOGISTICS
– Provides support to meet incident needs
• FINANCE/ADMINISTRATION
– Monitors costs related to incident
– Provides accounting
Next Steps for ORWARN?
• Facilitate ICS training
– Calendar of opportunities via web
– ORWARN Trainers
• Facilitate exercising
– Calendar of exercise opportunities via
web
– ORWARN Facilitators
• Interstate WARN exercising
Resource web sites
ICS Training
http://training.fema.gov/is/crslist.asp
About NIMS
http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/index.shtm
About NRP/NRF
http://www.dhs.gov/xprepresp/committees/edotorial
_0566.shtm