Q: How long do jurisdictions have to adopt the NIMS?
A: The NIC will be developing additional NIMS compliance guidance as time progresses and jurisdictions will be provided resources to help them through the NIMS compliance process. The NIMS should be seen as a living document that will require continuous maintenance by the jurisdictions implementing it.

Q: Is the adoption of the NIMS a requirement for Department of Homeland Security funds?
A: As mandated by Homeland Security Presidential Directive-5, beginning in FY 2005, adoption of NIMS will be a condition for the receipt of federal preparedness funds, including grants, contracts and other activities.

Q: How will jurisdictions be measured, evaluated and assessed?
A: In the short term, jurisdictions will be considered to be in compliance the NIMS by adopting the Incident Command System and NIMS principles and policies outlined in the 2008 NIMS Compliance Metrics. Compliance to these objectives will be documented by the NIMS POC with the completion of the NIMSCAST assessment tool. Other aspects of the NIMS will require additional development and refinement to enable compliance at a future date.

Q: How will jurisdictions be measured against NIMS during the period 2005 to 2009?
A: The NIC will be developing additional NIMS compliance guidance as time progresses and jurisdictions will be provided resources to help them through the NIMS compliance process. The NIMS should be seen as a living document that will require continuous maintenance by the jurisdictions implementing it.

Q: What is the NIC?
A: The NIMS Integration Center was established by the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide "strategic direction for and oversight of the National Incident Management System. Supporting both routine maintenance and the continuous refinement of the system and its components over the long term."The NIMS Integration Center is a multi-jurisdictional, multidisciplinary entity made up of federal stakeholders and state, local and tribal incident management and first responder organizations. It is situated in the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The organization of the Center includes the following branches: Standards and Resources Training and Exercises System Evaluation and Compliance Technology, Research and Development Publications Management The acting director of the NIMS Integration Center is Gil Jamieson, at DHS/FEMA. Operations of the Center are currently in Phase I, which includes the development of NIMS awareness training, education and publications; NIMS training and guidance and tools to help participants understand and comply with NIMS; and the identification of existing capabilities, initiatives and resources for NIMS and the NIMS Integration Center. Phase I also will see the establishment of an Advisory Committee, functional working groups and the preparation of programs and processes.

Q: Why must organizations conduct National Incident Management System (NIMS) training and exercises?
A: HSPD-5 requires federal departments and agencies to make adoption of NIMS by state and local organizations a condition for federal preparedness assistance by FY 2005. Organizations and personnel at all governmental levels and in the private sector must be trained to improve all-hazard incident management capability. These organizations and personnel must also participate in realistic exercises to improve integration and interoperability.

Q: What is the Incident Command System (ICS)?
A: ICS is a standardized on-scene incident management concept designed specifically to allow responders to adopt an integrated organizational structure equal to the complexity and demands of any single incident or multiple incidents without being hindered by jurisdictional boundaries. In the early 1970s, ICS was developed to manage rapidly moving wildfires and to address the following problems: Too many people reporting to one supervisor; Different emergency response organizational structures; Lack of reliable incident information; Inadequate and incompatible communications; Lack of structure for coordinated planning among agencies; Unclear lines of authority; Terminology differences among agencies; and Unclear or unspecified incident objectives. In 1980, federal officials transitioned ICS into a national program called the National Interagency Incident Management System (NIIMS), which became the basis of a response management system for all federal agencies with wildfire management responsibilities. Since then, many federal agencies have endorsed the use of ICS, and several have mandated its use. An ICS enables integrated communication and planning by establishing a manageable span of control. An ICS divides an emergency response into five manageable functions essential for emergency response operations: Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance and Administration. Figure 1 shows a typical ICS structure.