CU5

• NIMS works together with National Response Plan (NRP) to improve the nation's incident management capabilities and overall efficiency
• Nurses' role in disaster management

  • Identify and characterize disaster events
  • First responder to the scene
  • Member of rapid needs assessment team
  • Provide direct care by working in local health units
  • Manage communications and media
  • Coordinate various activities in disaster management
  • Participate in planning, policy writing, or research
• NIMS Component 3 - Resource Management


  System that will identify available resources at all jurisdictional levels to enable timely and unimpeded access to resources needed to prepare for, respond to, or recover from an incident
• NIMS is a structured framework built on the foundation of existing systems and integrates best practices developed over the years
• Hyogo Framework of Action aims to substantially reduce disaster losses by 2015, including loss of lives, loss of social functions, and loss of environmental and economic assets
• NIMS is not an operational incident management plan, a resource allocation plan, a terrorism/WMD-specific plan, or designed to address international events
• NIMS is a core set of doctrines, concepts, principles, terminology, and organizational processes applicable to all hazards
• NIMS Component 2 - Command and Management


  Designed to enable effective and efficient incident management and coordination by providing a flexible, standardized incident management structure
• Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) is a 10-year plan to make the world safer from natural hazards (2005-2015)
• Toni Frisch, Swiss Humanitarian Aid Department: 'Disaster risk reduction is an obligation for all -- donors, governments and the private sector. We cannot wait for more disasters to happen to understand the benefits of Disaster Risk Reduction policies.'
• NIMS Components

  • Preparedness
  • Command and Management
  • Resource Management
  • Communication and Info-management
  • Supporting technologies
  • Ongoing management and Maintenance
• Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) is the first plan to explain, describe, and detail the work required from all different sectors to reduce disaster losses
• National Incident Management System: '“a consistent nationwide approach for federal, state, tribal, and local governments to work effectively and efficiently together to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity.” -HSPD-5'
• Five priorities for action in Hyogo Framework of Action

  • Ensure that disaster risk reduction is a national and a local priority with a strong institutional basis for implementation
  • Identify, assess and monitor disaster risks and enhance early warning
  • Use knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels
  • Reduce the underlying risk factors
  • Strengthen disaster preparedness for effective response at all levels
• Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) was adopted by 168 Member States of the United Nations in 2005 at the World Disaster Reduction Conference in Kobe, Japan
• NIMS Component 1 - Preparedness


  1. Planning

  2. Training and Exercises

  3. Standards and Certification

  4. Mutual Aid

  5. Information and Publications
• Incident Command System (ICS)

  • Manageable Span of Control
  • Common Terminology
  • Modular/Scalable Organization
  • Integrated Communications
  • Unified Command Structure
  • Consolidated Action Plans
  • Pre-designated Command Centers
  • Comprehensive Resource Management
• Incident Command System was developed in response to a series of fires in Southern California in the early 1970s by an interagency effort called FIRESCOPE
• Modular/Scalable Organization


  • Develops from the top-down at any incident
  • Can expand/shrink according to the needs of the situation
  • Only activate what you need
• Manageable Span of Control


  The number of individuals one supervisor can manage effectively, usually 3-7 with the optimum being 5
• Incident Command System (ICS)

  • A standardized, on-scene, all-hazard incident management concept (FEMA)
  • Systematic tool used for the command, control, and coordination of emergency response (United States Federal Highway Administration)
• Concepts of communications under NIMS

  • Interoperability
  • Reliability
  • Scalability
  • Portability
  • Resiliency
  • Redundancy
• Weaknesses in incident management that lead to the development of ICS

  • Too many people reporting to one supervisor
  • Different emergency response organizational structure
  • Lack of reliable incident information
  • Inadequate and incompatible communications
  • Lack of structure for coordinated planning among agencies (departments)
  • Unclear lines of authority
  • Terminology differences among agencies (departments)
  • Unclear or unspecified incident objectives
• Common Terminology

  • Essential in any system, especially when diverse groups are involved in the response
  • Minimize use of abbreviations, acronyms, or confusing terminology to improve communication
• Resource Management under NIMS involves


  1. Identify and type resources

  2. Certify and credential personnel

  3. Inventory, acquire, mobilize, track and recover resources from all sources
• Integrated Communications


  Characterized by the use of standard operating procedures, common communications plan, common equipment, common terminology
• NIMS Communication and Information Management


  • Provides a common operating picture to all command and coordination sites
• Integrated communications


  • System characterized by the use of standard operating procedures, common communications plan, common equipment, common terminology
• Basic ICS General Staff


  • Operations Section Chief
• Modular


  • What you need
• Consolidated Action Plans

  Describe response goals, operational objectives, and support activities prepared around an operational period
• Comprehensive Resource Management

  Allows an organization to maximize resource use, consolidate control of single resources, reduce the communications load, provide accountability, ensure personnel safety
• Pre-designated Command Centers


  Placed strategically appropriate for the risk and hazards, ideally have two (primary and backup), location determined after hazard analysis
• Types of Incident Command

  • Single Incident Command
  • Unified Command
• Organization


  • What you need
• Incident Command and Staff


  • Responsible for overall management of the incident
• Operational periods can be of various lengths and should be no longer than 24 hours
• Unified Command

  • Does not mean losing or giving up agency (departmental) authority, responsibility, or accountability, simply provides for a coordinated response
• Basic ICS Commanding Staff


  • Public Information Officer
  • Safety Officer
  • Liaison Officer
• Scalable


  • What you need