What Is NIMS?
On February 28, 2003, the President issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) - 5, Management of Domestic Incidents, which directs the
Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and administer a National Incident Management System (NIMS). This system provides a consistent nationwide
template to enable Federal, State, local, and tribal governments and private - sector and nongovernmental organizations to work together effectively and
efficiently to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity, including acts of catastrophic
terrorism.
At the state, territorial, tribal, and local levels, jurisdictions should support NIMS implementation by completing the following:
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| Minimum FY05 NIMS Compliance Requirements |
NIMS Awareness Course |
Recognizing and Adopting |
Establish a Baseline |
Establish a Timeline |
Institutionalizing ICS |
Minimum FY05 NIMS Compliance Requirements
State and territory level efforts to implement NIMS must include the following:
- Incorporating NIMS into existing training programs and exercises
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Ensuring that federal preparedness funding (including HSGP funds) support NIMS implementation at the state and local levels (in accordance with the
eligibility and allowable uses of the grants)
- Incorporating NIMS into Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs)
- Promotion of intrastate mutual aid agreements
- Coordinating and providing technical assistance to local entities regarding NIMS
- Institutionalizing the use of ICS
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Complete the NIMS Awareness Course
Completing the NIMS Awareness Course: "National Incident Management System, An Introduction" IS 700. This independent study course is available online and
will take between forty - five minutes to three hours to complete. The course is available on the
EMI web page.
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Recognizing and Adopting
Formally recognizing NIMS and adopting NIMS principles and policies. States, territories, tribes, and local entities should establish legislation, executive
orders, resolutions, or ordinances to formally adopt NIMS. The NIMS Integration Center (NIC) will
provide sample language and templates to assist in formally adopting NIMS through legislative and / or executive / administrative means.
Utah's Executive Order
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Establish a Baseline
Establish a NIMS baseline by determining which NIMS requirements are already satisfied. The NIC is developing a web - based self - assessment system, the
NIMS Capability Assessment Support Tool (NIMCAST)
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Establish a Timeline
Establishing a timeframe and developing a strategy for full NIMS implementation. States, territories, tribes, and local entities are encouraged to achieve
full NIMS implementation during FY05. To the extent that full implementation is not possible during FY05, federal preparedness assistance must be leveraged
to complete NIMS implementation in FY06. By FY07, federal preparedness assistance will be conditioned upon full compliance with NIMS. Again, in order for
NIMS to be implemented successfully across the nation, it is critical that states provide support and leadership to tribal and local entities to ensure full
NIMS implementation. State should work with the tribal and local governments to develop a strategy for statewide compliance with NIMS.
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Institutionalizing ICS
Institutionalizing the use of the ICS. State, territorial, tribal, and local entities that are not already using ICS, must institutionalize the use of ICS
(consistent with the concepts and principles taught by DHS) across the entire response system. All federal, state, territory, tribal, and local
jurisdictions will be required to adopt ICS in order to be compliant with NIMS.
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