Core Components of the NIMS

Homeland Security

Two years prior to the devastating and tragic landfall of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast, President George W. Bush

Issued Presidential Directive 5 (HSPD-5) directing the Secretary of Homeland

Security to: create a comprehensive National Incident Management System (NIMS) to provide a consistent nationwide approach for Federal, State, and local governments to work effectively together to prepare for, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity (George W. Bush White House.gov. N.D.P.1).

Later adopted in 2004, the NIMS provided a dedicated strategic initiative to prevent the very chaos and confusion which erupted out of Katrina's fury. Yet, the system proved desultory, unwieldy, and ineffective in its response to the disaster; the vivid portraits of New Orleans citizens trapped in the Superdome "amid a frightening scene of filth, violence and despair" (MSNBC.com. September 3, 2005). Since 2005, efforts have focused on ensuring that NIMS is operational, effective, and responsive in handling future exigencies. In doing so however, the fundamental tenets of NIMS, its structure, and composition must be elucidated in order to develop effective changes and delivery.

Core Components of NIMS

NIMS provides a systematic, proactive approach; a template for the management of incidents" (FEMA.gov. About NIMS. N.D.P.1). The NIMS blueprint is comprised of five core components: preparedness, communications and information management, resource management, command and management, and ongoing management and maintenance.

The first competency, preparedness is dedicated to personnel at all levels having the requisite capabilities to deal with differentiated incidents. "Preparedness is achieved and maintained through a continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action" (FEMA.gov. NIMS Resource Center. N.D.P.1). Succinctly, "emergency management/response personnel and their affiliated organizations" (FEMA.gov. NIMS Resource Center. N.D.P.1) must be ready.

The second component communications and information management involves providing a coordinated approach for the provision of timely and necessary knowledge; "a common operating picture to emergency management/response personnel and their affiliated organizations" (FEMA.gov. NIMS Resource Center. N.D.P.1). This concept is not so much about all actors utilizing the same Apple iPhone as it is "the development and use of common communications plans and interoperable communications equipment, processes, standards, and architectures" (FEMA.gov. NIMS Resource Center. N.D.P.1).

Third, resource management is all about having, dispatching, and utilizing the "personnel, teams, facilities, equipment, and/or supplies) to meet incident needs" (FEMA.gov. NIMS Resource Center. N.D.P.1). Much like a supply chain, resource management in NIMS requires control of: inventory, logistics, typing, and credentialing so as to be "flexible and scalable in order to support any incident and be adaptable to changes" (FEMA.gov. NIMS Resource Center. N.D.P.1).