NIMS & NRP

Katrina Response

Al Fluman, Acting Director

NIMS Integration Center

Homeland Security Presidential Directive – 5

National Incident Management System (NIMS) A consistent nationwide approach for all levels of government to work

effectively and efficiently together to prepare for and respond to domestic incidents

Core set of concepts, principles and terminology for incident command and multi-agency coordination

Homeland Security Presidential Directive – 5 (Continued)

National Response Plan (NRP) Provides the structure and mechanisms for a comprehensive nationwide

approach to domestic incident management

Applicable to all federal departments and agencies that may be involved in responding to an Incident of National Significance.

Homeland Security Presidential Directive – 5 (Continued)

Requires all Federal Departments and Agencies to adopt the NIMS and the NRP

Requires state and local NIMS compliance as a condition for Federal preparedness assistance

NIMS: Key Concepts

Framework for interoperability and compatibility

Flexibility Consistent, flexible, and adjustable national framework

Applicable regardless of incident cause, size, location, or complexity.

Standardization Standard organizational structures

Key to interoperability

Ongoing support: NIMS Integration Center

NIMS Components

Command and Management Incident Command System

Multi-agency Coordination Systems

Public Information Systems

Preparedness

Resource Management

Communications and Information Management

Supporting Technologies

Ongoing Management and Maintenance

NIMS Components (Continued)

Command and Management – Incident Command System

ICS defines the operating characteristics, interactive management components, and structure of incident management and emergency response organizations engaged throughout the life cycle of an incident.

Key Components of ICS

ComprehensiveResource

Management

Pre-designatedIncidentFacilities

UnifiedCommandStructure

IncidentActionPlan

ManageableSpan-of-Control

Common Terminology

Modular organization

ICS Command and General Staff Titles

Incident Incident CommanderCommander

Operations Operations Section ChiefSection Chief

Planning Planning Section ChiefSection Chief

Logistics Logistics Section ChiefSection Chief

Finance/Adm Finance/Adm Section ChiefSection Chief

Safety Safety OfficerOfficer

Public Public InformationInformation

OfficerOfficer

Liaison Liaison OfficerOfficer

Command Staff:The Command Staff

provides Information, Safety, and Liaison services for the entire organization.

General Staff:The General Staff are

assigned functional authority for Operations, Planning,

Logistics, and Finance/Administration.

NIMS Components (Continued)

Command and Management – Multi-Agency Coordination System

The multi-agency coordination system is the system that ties together all the support and coordination structures utilized in an incident. The primary function of MACS are to support and coordinate incident management policies and priorities.

NIMS Components (Continued)

Command and Management – Public Information System

The public information system includes processes and procedures for communicating timely and accurate information to the public during crisis. All levels of government, along with volunteer organizations and private industry, must have the ability to gather public information, verify public information, coordinate public information, and disseminate public information during a disaster.

NIMS Components (Continued)

Preparedness

Preparedness involves an integrated combination of planning, training, exercises, personnel qualification and certification standards, equipment acquisition and certification standards, and publications management processes well in advance of any potential incident.

NIMS Components (Continued)

Resource Management

Resource management under NIMS defines standardized mechanisms and establishes requirements for processes to describe, inventory, mobilize, dispatch, track, and recover resources over the cycle of the incident.

NIMS Components (Continued)

Communications and Information Management

Communications and information management under NIMS identifies the requirement for a standardized framework for communications, information management (collection, analysis, and dissemination), and information-sharing at all levels of incident management.

NIMS Components (Continued)

Supporting Technology

Technology and technological systems provide supporting capabilities essential to implementing and continuously refining NIMS. These include voice and data communications systems, information management systems (i.e. record keeping and resource tracking), and data display systems.

NIMS Components (Continued)

Ongoing Management and Maintenance

This component of NIMS establishes an activity to provide strategic direction for an oversight of the NIMS, supporting both routine and continuous refinement of the system and its components over the long term.

NIMS – Command & Management Lessons Learned

Incident Command System (ICS) Positive – Some form of ICS used at all levels of government

during incident (Local, State, and Federal)

Continued use of ICS requires significant additional training and exercises

Need to standardize ICS forms and reporting in general for use by everyone

Officials at all levels need to understand ICS, NIMS, and NRP and the use of Incident Actions Plans (IAPs)

Need to standardize IAP formats between Joint Field Offices and practice incident action planning

NIMS – Command & Management Lessons Learned (Continued)

Incident Command System (ICS) IAP Issues: If done properly most of the questions asked by the

White House, DHS, FEMA HQ can be answered from the IAP!

IAP Issues: Need to use IAP’s and operational reporting periods to answer requests

IAP Issues: More time needs to be spent at all levels developing strategies and tactics that support incident objectives. Objectives, strategies and tactics need to support field objectives. Bottom up not top down!

Strike teams and liaison functions at all levels need to be formalized

NIMS – PreparednessLessons Learned

Must figure out a way to balance the emphasis between natural hazard and terrorism preparedness activities

Need to continue to build Federal, state, and local capability (i.e. evacuation plans, distribution plans, purchasing plans, etc.)

Additional planning, training and exercising necessary – Feds, States, Locals need to train and exercise together

NIMS – PreparednessLessons Learned (Continued)

Nationwide credentialing system needs to continue to be a priority

Need to build our response capability by “growing” our personnel to fill positions

All positions need to be “typed” and trained to

Need to pre-designate Incident Management Teams (IMT’s) along with strike teams and liaison personnel

Involve personnel from all Federal agencies in the response when disaster positions are identified and typed

NIMS – Resource Management Lessons Learned

Need compatible resource management systems at all levels of government so what when help arrives “systems” can be utilized

Local jurisdictions need appropriate resource management tools and systems in place prior to the event. Resources need to be typed. Local government needs assistance is meeting resource typing requirements.

Need to promote/educate all on mutual aid and the benefits of Emergency Management Assistance Compacts (EMAC)

NIMS – Resource Management Lessons Learned (Continued)

Pre-incident contracts should be established for commonly used resources (i.e. water, food, tents, tarps, generators, etc.)

At all levels of government need to develop a better way to track resources from start to finish

Field personnel needs “visibility” on all resources requests (i.e. status of request, status of resource, location, arrival time, etc)

NIMS – Communications and Information Management Lessons Learned

Still need to emphasize the need for a common operating picture (and the tools to facilitate its development) for disasters

Still need to emphasize the need for redundant communications at all levels of government

Communications equipment must arrive at scene with arriving units

Communications equipment must either be pre-positioned closer to disaster scenes or be made more mobile

National Response Plan (NRP)Lessons Learned

Need to determine exact role of the Principal Federal Official (PFO), PFO Cell, Homeland Security Operations Center (HSOC), Interagency Incident Management Group (IIMG), National Response Coordination Center (NRCC)

NRP is a “new” plan, as with all new plans, changes and updates are necessary

NRP SOP’s need to be finalized and tested

All Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) need to know roles and responsibilities of other ESFs

NIMS Activities Pre-Hurricane Season

Met with Federal Agencies identified in the NRP to discuss NIMS planning, training, implementation and lessons learned from 2005 Gulf Coast Hurricanes.

Conducting a Federal Partners Summit Workshop May 31-June 2 to discuss Federal agency NIMS compliance, implementation, planning, training and lessons learned from 2005 Gulf Coast Hurricanes.

Established a working group with DOD on NIMS planning and implementation at the Joint Chief of Staff level.

Conducting NIMS Implementation Workshops for the private sector and volunteer organizations based on lessons learned from 2005.

NIMS Activities Pre-Hurricane Season

Upgrade” NIMS document based on lessons learned from the 2005 Gulf Coast Hurricane Season and other events. Draft document ready for review and comment by June. Issue revised NIMS document by October 1 along with the 2007 NIMS compliance requirements.

Implement MOU with HDS Preparedness Grants and Training and FEMA for the monitoring of NIMS compliance in the States.

Proceeding with a detailed evaluation of State Emergency Operations Plans for NIMS compliance and State Homeland Security Strategies for NIMS implementation.

Established a cooperative agreement with the Justice and Safety Center, Eastern Kentucky University to develop a NIMS Integration Support Center in Somerset, Kentucky.

NIMS Activities Pre-Hurricane Season

In conjunction with the NIMS Integration Support Center in Kentucky, the NIMS Integration Center is developing:

NIMS Compliance Metrics for FY2007 State and Local governments

NIMS Emergency Response Field Operating Guide for all first responders

NIMS “freeware” database management software to assist State and local governments in the inventorying and typing of resources

NIMS Standards review, adoption, and incorporation into “Upgraded” NIMS document and FY07 compliance activities

NIMS Activities Pre-Hurricane Season

Since March, conducting NIMS ICS Train-the-Trainer courses in States and Territories. Qualifies instructors to teach recently completed ICS 100, 200, 300 and 400 level courses.

2.2 million first responders and disaster workers have completed NIMS training through FEMA (IS-700, IS-800, ICS-100, ICS-200)

NIMS Multi-agency Coordination System, NIMS Public Information System, and NIMS Resource Management training will be released prior to the start of hurricane season. Training will be available via the web and downloadable to be taught in classroom.

NIMS Communication & Information Management, NIMS Preparedness, NIMS Resource Typing, and NIMS Mutual Aid training will be released this summer.

The NIMS Integration Center

Copies of the NIMS document Call FEMA at 1-800-480-2520, press Option 4, and ask for FEMA

501, National Incident Management System. Download from NIMS Web site: www.fema.gov/emergency/nims

Contact the NIC Ask the NIMS Integration Center: NIMS-Integration-Center@dhs.gov

Call the NIMS Integration Center: 202-646-3850