Response, Management Strategies

National Incident Management System

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) was created in response to Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5, signed on February 28, 2003, by President George W. Bush. NIMS provides a template for managing incidents at the local, state, and federal levels of government in a systemic, consistent manner.

NIMS is a set of preparedness, response, and recovery concepts and principles that can be used for all hazards to create a common operational response picture among emergency response entities, and ensure the interoperability of communications and management of information during a disaster. The system also provides a standardized process for managing resources that enable jurisdictions to communicate and coordinate needs and assets easily. It is flexible in that it can be scaled down to manage small events, or expanded to manage larger events.

Five components comprise NIMS: preparedness, communications and information management, resource management, command and management, and ongoing management and maintenance. Disaster preparedness is achieved by the ongoing cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and correction of performance deficiencies. NIMS standardizes the capabilities and measurements of incident response performance among organizations, while measurements of performance provide mechanisms for corrective actions to be identified and rectified to enhance disaster readiness.

The integration of communications and information management systems enhances the ability for information to be shared among not only operational units, but also supporting agencies and organizations. NIMS enhances this process by creating a framework by which policies, equipment, systems, standards, and training to achieve communication and information-sharing goals and objectives can be achieved prior to an event. Emergency equipment and resources are essential for managing [Page 593]disaster incidents. To do so effectively requires the involvement of multiple coordination and management processes to provide necessary resources and equipment in a timely manner. A consistent, standardized process is used for coordinating, using, and deploying resources as necessary.

The Incident Management System, Multiagency Coordination System, and Public Information System are the three components of NIMS System Command and Management Function. The Incident Command System is widely used for effective and efficient incident management using a system that allows incident managers to identify primary response concerns without minimizing other areas of concern related to response. Modular in structure, depending upon the size and complexity of the event, the Incident Management System is based upon a system of management by objectives. These include the establishment of incident objectives, and developing strategies to achieve them; the development and issuance of disaster assignments, plans, procedures, and protocols; the establishment of specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound objectives; and the documentation of performance objectives upon which corrective actions can be based.

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