Developed by the United States Secretary of Homeland Security at the request of the President of the United States, the National Incident Management System (NIMS) integrates effective practices in emergency preparedness and response into a comprehensive national framework for incident management. The NIMS will enable responders at all levels to work together more effectively to manage domestic incidents no matter what the cause, size or complexity.

There have been some difficulties implementing the system in local jurisdictions where Emergency Management Directors are now required to cede some authority to emergency responders in the field.

History of 'NIMS'

On February 28, 2003, President George W. Bush issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-5, Management of Domestic Incidents, which directed the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and administer the National Incident Management System. After the proposed system had gone through extensive vetting and coordination from Federal agencies, NIMS was released by Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge on March 1, 2004.

HSPD-5 required all federal agencies to adopt the NIMS and to use it in their individual domestic incident management and emergency prevention, preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation programs and activities. The directive also required Federal departments to make adoption of NIMS by State, tribal and local organizations a condition for Federal preparedness assistance beginning in Fiscal Year 2005. In addition, all State, tribal and local emergency personnel with a direct role in emergency preparedness, incident management or response were to have completed NIMS training by October 1, 2005. All State, tribal and local personnel with any type of emergency assignment must complete NIMS training by October 1, 2006.

Page [1] [2] [3] [4]