After the events of 9/11, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's), National Curriculum Advisory Committee on Incident Command Systems/Emergency Operations Management Systems recommended adoption of ICS as a multihazard all‐agency system. The initial reaction to recognize ICS as the nationwide way of managing incident was swift, and it was supported by several key agencies and/or organizations. These actions included
FEMA's National Fire Academy (NFA) adopted the ICS/NIMS as a model system for fire services. This is important because the NFA served as a focal point for federally based incident command and management training. The NFA accomplished this through a variety of models of training delivery both on its Emmitsburg, Maryland, campus and through its off‐campus training delivery system.
FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Response System, a component of the Federal Response Plan. At the time of the September 11 attacks, USAR used NIIMS as the basis of its onsite management structure. They utilized the NIIMS system to allow for seamless interface with the local Incident Management System. When the discussion turned to a nationwide single system, most USAR Teams welcomed it with open arms.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The NFPA created life safety standards for many years. Prior to the September 11 attacks, many NFPA Standards referenced or in some cases directly called for the development and use of an incident management system. When the adoption of ICS and NIMS as the nationwide way of managing emergency incident was suggested, the NFPA wholeheartedly supported it.
The use of NIIMS was then relied upon by only certain federal government agencies, that is, until a Presidential Directive by President George W. Bush. President Bush mandated a standardized incident management system through Executive Order. Prior to this mandate, many federal agencies incorporated the structure of emergency incident management for which they felt best suited their objectives and needs.
These emergency incident management systems of that time created a hodgepodge of methods that, in many instances, did not integrate well with other types of emergency incident systems. Whether this lack of integration was caused by human error or was a product of poor incident management design (or a combination of the two) is still a matter of debate. After the September 11 attacks, it became increasingly important to integrate, and to make sure that everyone was working from the same playbook.
1.10 The National Incident Management System (NIMS)
In February 2003, President George W. Bush issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) No. 5. This Presidential Directive was created to establish a single, comprehensive national incident management system to deal with domestic emergency incidents within the United States. HSPD‐5 (and its companion document HSPD‐8) used language that required NIMS to be used in more than just the response phase of emergencies; it required that NIMS would be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to incidents, regardless of the size, cause, or the level of complexity. Furthermore, this Presidential Directive concluded that the system should be used in terrorist attacks, major disasters, and any other domestic emergencies, including day‐to‐day operations. The primary purpose was to ensure that all levels of government had the capacity to participate together in a collaborative, effective, and efficient manner by using a single command and management method.
NIMS is not, and was not, intended to be an operational incident management method. The operational aspect of incident management was relegated solely to ICS component. The components of NIMS were designed to integrate with ICS, thereby creating a more unified and collaborative response. The components of NIMS connected with ICS and work in harmony to form a comprehensive incident management system. While ICS is a component of NIMS, it is not the only component. The totality of NIMS components includes
Preparedness
Communications and Information Management
Resource Management
Command and Management
Ongoing Management and Maintenance
It is important to note that the NIMS Methods required the use of the standardized Incident Command System (ICS) for operational management of an incident. NIMS provides a core set of principles, concepts, doctrines, terminology, and organizational practices to facilitate effective, efficient, and collaborative incident management on incident of all sizes and nature. It creates and promotes improved collaboration among all stakeholders.
NIMS is appropriate across the full range of potential incidents, hazards, and impacts, and is beneficial in managing resources regardless of size, location, or complexity of the incident. It is created and managed in such a way that it improves coordination and cooperation between both public and private entities, and it is effective in a large variety of incident management activities. Perhaps the most important aspect of NIMS is that it provides a communal standard for overall incident management.
The consistent practice of NIMS initiates and maintains the groundwork for efficient and effective responses. Whether it is a single‐agency response, a multiagency, a multidisciplined, or a multijurisdictional response to a natural disaster or terrorism, NIMS is a way for everyone to be on the same page. If a single‐agency response escalates into a multijurisdictional response, those entities who have integrated NIMS into their planning and incident management structure have a unique advantage. They can come to an incident after being dispatched with little notice, and still understand the overarching procedures and protocols governing the response. Any personnel dispatched know, from the minute they are called, what the expectation is for equipment and personnel. The real beauty and actual utility of the system is the harmony in preparedness and response efforts which permits diverse entities to easily and comfortably integrate resources, and if needed to be able to quickly establish Unified Command (explained in Chapter 7) during a chaotic time of an incident where everyone needs a seat at the table.
1.11 Presidential Directives
Earlier in this chapter, it was discussed how HSPD‐5 mandated NIMS to provide interoperability and compatibility among Federal, State, and local response and recovery agencies. Under this directive, NIMS also was required to provide a core set of concepts, principles, terminology, and technologies that integrated with the Incident Command System, but it did not stop there. NIMS was required to provide a multiagency coordination system, pave a system for the use of Unified Command (explained in Chapter 7), and was supposed to provide training. The NIMS method was also mandated to identify and manage resources, including how to classify resources, as well as provide qualifications and certifications to ensure that potential resources met specific NIMS proficiencies.
To confirm the NIMS method was meeting the goals of the Presidential Directive, there was a mandate that there should be a method of gathering, tracking, and reporting of incident information and incident resources. This was essential in providing quantitative reports and data to the President, as well as the public, to determine the preparedness and readiness level of the United States. As the saying goes, you cannot fix it if you do not know that it is broken. The data that was to be collected would be used for finding out where the system was broken.
HSPD‐5 placed most of the responsibility for NIMS directly in the hands of the Secretary of Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was a new government department as of 25 November 2002. It was officially formed the day after HSPD‐5 was signed by President Bush, and a little over a year after the September 11 attacks. The formation of DHS combined multiple federal resources under one federal entity. The creation of DHS either partially, or fully, incorporated
