Question

Describe the purpose, history, function, structure, and use in action of the National Incident Management System

Answer 1

National Incident Management System(NIMS)

NIMS provides a consistent nationwide template to enable all government, private-sector, and nongovernmental organizations to work together during domestic incidents.

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is a standardized approach to incident management developed by the United States Department of Homeland Security.

History

The program was established in March 2004 in response to Homeland Security Presidential Directive-5, issued by President George W. Bush. It is intended to facilitate coordination between all responders (including all levels of government with public, private, and nongovernmental organizations). The system has been revised once, in December 2008. The core training currently includes two courses: (1) IS-700 NIMS, which provides a basic introduction to NIMS, and (2) ICS-100, which includes history, details, and features, along with an introduction to the Incident Command System. Approximately 24 additional courses are available on selected topics.

NIMS standard incident command structures are based on three key organizational systems:

·         The Incident Command System (ICS)

·         The Multiagency Coordination System

·         Public Information Systems

NIMS is a comprehensive, national approach to incident management that is applicable at all jurisdictional levels and across functional disciplines. The intent of NIMS is to: Be applicable across a full spectrum of potential incidents and hazard scenarios, regardless of size or complexity. Improve coordination and cooperation between public and private entities in a variety of domestic incident management activities.

Purposes of National Incident System

1. To meet emergencies.

These emergencies are large and small and range from fires to hazardous materials incidents to natural and technological disasters. Each incident requires a response. Whether from different departments within the same jurisdiction, from mutual aid partners, or from State and Federal agencies, responders need to be able to work together, communicate with each other, and depend on each other.

2.Develop standards for domestic incident response

Until now, there have been no standards for domestic incident response that reach across all levels of government and all emergency response agencies. The events of September 11 have underscored the need for and importance of national standards for incident operations, incident communications, personnel qualifications, resource management, and information management and supporting technology.

3.To provide standards for domestic incident response

President Bush signed Homeland Security Presidential Directive–5. HSPD-5 authorized the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop the National Incident Management System, or NIMS. NIMS provides for interoperability and compatability among all responders.

NIMS Concepts and Principles

NIMS provides a framework for interoperability and compatibility by balancing flexibility and standardization. NIMS provides a flexible framework that facilitates government and private entities at all levels working together to manage domestic incidents. This flexibility applies to all phases of incident management, regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity. NIMS provides a set of standardized organizational structures, as well as requirements for processes, procedures, and systems designed to improve interoperability.

NIMS Components

NIMS is comprised of several components that work together as a system to provide a national framework for preparing for, preventing, responding to, and recovering from domestic incidents.

These components include:

Command and management.

Preparedness.

Resource management.

Communications and information management.

Supporting technologies.

Ongoing management and maintenance

Although these systems are evolving, much is in place now.

NIMS standard incident management structures are based on three key organizational systems:

• The Incident Command System (ICS), which defines the operating characteristics, management components, and structure of incident management organizations throughout the life cycle of an incident
• Multiagency Coordination Systems, which define the operating characteristics, management components, and organizational structure of supporting entities

Public Information Systems, which include the processes, procedures, and systems for communicating timely and accurate information to the public during emergency situations

How does NIMS relate to the National Response Framework (NRF)?

The NIMS and NRF are companion documents and are designed to improve the Nation’s incident management and response capabilities. While NIMS provides the template for the management of incidents regardless of size, scope or cause, the NRF provides the structure and mechanisms for national level policy of incident response. Together, the NIMS and the NRF integrate the capabilities and resources of various governmental jurisdictions, incident management and emergency response disciplines, non-governmental organizations, and the private-sector into a cohesive, coordinated, and seamless national framework for domestic incident response.

How does NIMS relate to local incident command? A basic premise of NIMS is that all incidents begin and end locally. NIMS does not take command away from State and local authorities. NIMS simply provides the framework to enhance the ability of responders, including the private sector and NGOs, to work together more effectively. The Federal Government supports State and local authorities when their resources are overwhelmed or anticipated to be overwhelmed. Federal departments and agencies respect the sovereignty and responsibilities of local, tribal, and State governments while rendering assistance. The intention of the Federal Government in these situations is not to command the response, but rather to support the affected local, tribal, and/or State governments.

What is the role of Elected and Appointed Officials during an incident?

Elected and appointed officials are responsible for ensuring the public safety and welfare of the people of that jurisdiction. Specifically, these officials provide strategic guidance and resources during preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. Elected or appointed officials must have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities for successful emergency management and response. At times, these roles may require providing direction and guidance to constituents during an incident, but their day-to-day activities do not focus on emergency management and response. Their awareness of NIMS is critical to ensuring cooperative response efforts and minimizing the incident impacts.

​ Preparedness is essential for effective incident and emergency management and involves engaging in a continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action to achieve and maintain readiness to respond to emergencies. As such, the NIMS Preparedness Component serves as a baseline concept that links all the NIMS Components. Preparedness spans jurisdictions, governments, agencies and organizations. Though individuals certainly play a critical role in preparedness and are expected to prepare themselves and their families for all types of potential incidents, they are not directly included in NIMS preparedness. NIMS primarily discusses the preparedness role for governments, organizations geared specifically toward preparedness, elected and appointed officials, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector.

What is a Common Operating Picture?

A common operating picture (COP) offers a standard overview of an incident, thereby providing incident information that enables the Incident Commander/Unified Command and any supporting agencies and organizations to make effective, consistent, and timely decisions.

What is Interoperability?

Interoperability allows emergency management/response personnel and their affiliated organizations to communicate within and across agencies and jurisdictions via voice, data, or video-on-demand, in real-time, when needed, and when authorized - this includes equipment and the ability to communicate. If entities have physical communications systems that are able to directly communicate, those systems are considered to be interoperable. This can be a function of the actual system or the frequency on which the system operates. What is Resource Management? Resource management involves the coordination, oversight, and processes necessary to provide timely and appropriate resources during an incident. Utilization of the standardized resource management concepts such as the typing, inventorying, ordering, and tracking of resources will facilitate their dispatch, deployment, and recovery before, during, and after an incident.

What is Command and Management?

The Command and Management component within NIMS is designed to enable effective and efficient incident management and coordination by providing a flexible, standardized incident management structure. To institutionalize these activities within a formal structure, command and management includes three fundamental elements:

Incident Command System (ICS),

Multiagency Coordination Systems (MACS),

Public Information.

These fundamental elements provide standardization through consistent terminology and established organizational structures

Why is ICS needed?

When an incident requires response from multiple local emergency management and response agencies, effective cross-jurisdictional coordination using common processes and systems is critical. The Incident Command System (ICS) provides a flexible, yet standardized core mechanism for coordinated and collaborative incident management, whether for incidents where additional resources are required or are provided from different organizations within a single jurisdiction or outside the jurisdiction, or for complex incidents with national implications.

What is ICS Designed To Do?

The ICS is a widely applicable management system designed to enable effective, efficient incident management by integrating a combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communications operating within a common organizational structure. ICS is a fundamental form of management established in a standard format, with the purpose of enabling incident managers to identify the key concerns associated with the incident—often under urgent conditions—without sacrificing attention to any component of the command system. It represents organizational "best practices" and, as an element of the Command and Management Component of NIMS, has become the standard for emergency management across the country. Designers of the system recognized early that ICS must be interdisciplinary and organizationally flexible to meet the following management challenges: • Meet the needs of incidents of any kind or size.

• Allow personnel from a variety of agencies to meld rapidly into a common management structure.

• Provide logistical and administrative support to operational staff.

• Be cost effective by avoiding duplication of efforts. ICS consists of procedures for controlling personnel, facilities, equipment, and communications. It is a system designed to be used or applied from the time an incident occurs until the requirement for management and operations no longer exists.