NRF -NIMS Updates
2009
Matthew P Bernard
NIMS Coordinator
FEMA Region X
28 September 2009
1
National Response Framework

Purpose


Guides how the nation conducts all-hazards incident response
Key Concepts



Builds on the National Incident Management System (NIMS)
with its flexible, scalable, and adaptable coordinating
structures
Aligns key roles and responsibilities across jurisdictions
Links all levels of government, private sector, and
nongovernmental organizations in a unified approach to
emergency management

Always in effect: can be partially or fully implemented

Coordinates Federal assistance without need for formal trigger
2
Focused on Response
Achieving a Goal Within a Broader Strategy


Response
 Immediate actions to save lives, protect property and the
environment, and meet basic human needs
 Execution of emergency plans and actions to support short-term
recovery
National Strategy for Homeland Security – guides, organizes and
unifies our National homeland security efforts




Prevent and disrupt terrorist attacks;
Protect the American people, our critical infrastructure, and key
resources;
Respond to and recover from incidents that do occur; and
Continue to strengthen the foundation to ensure our long-term
success.
3
How the Framework is Organized
Core
Document
Doctrine, organization, roles and
responsibilities, response actions
and planning requirements that
guide national response
Emergency Support
Function Annexes
Mechanisms to group and provide Federal
resources and capabilities to support State
and local responders
Support
Annexes
Essential supporting aspects of the Federal
response common to all incidents
Incident
Annexes
Incident-specific applications of the
Framework
Partner
Guides
Next level of detail in response actions
tailored to the actionable entity
www.fema.gov/nrf
4
State & Local Leadership and the
Framework
Effective, unified national response requires layered, mutually supporting capabilities
 States are sovereign entities, and the Governor has responsibility for public
safety and welfare; States are the main players in coordinating resources and
capabilities and obtaining support from other States and the Federal government




Governor
Homeland Security Advisor
Director State Emergency Management Agency
State Coordinating Officer
State & Tribal
Governments
 Local officials have primary responsibility for
community preparedness and response
NRF
 Elected/Appointed Officials (Mayor)
 Emergency Manager
 Public Safety Officials
 Individuals and Households are key starting
points for emergency preparedness and
support community efforts
Local
Governments
Federal
Government
Private
Sector
& NGO
5
Private Sector & NGOs and the
Framework
Effective, unified national response requires layered, mutually supporting capabilities


The Private Sector supports
community response, organizes business
to ensure resiliency, and protects and
restores critical infrastructure and
commercial activity
NGOs perform vital service missions
 Assist individuals who have special
needs
 Coordinate volunteers
 Interface with government response
officials at all levels
State & Tribal
Governments
Local
Governments
NRF
Federal
Government
Private
Sector
& NGO
6
What Has Changed From the FRP
 A Framework … not a Plan
 Written for two audiences
 Senior elected and appointed officials
 Emergency Management practitioners
 Emphasizes roles of the local governments, States, NGOs,
individuals and the private sector
 Establishes Response Doctrine
•
•
•
•
•
Engaged partnership
Tiered response
Scalable, flexible, and adaptable operational capabilities
Unity of effort through unified command
Readiness to act
 Establishes planning as a critical element of effective response
7
What is Coming UP for the NRF


FEMA is working with other partners to set up
the time table for review and update of the NRF
by the end of Fiscal Year 2011 .
http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nrf/
The Preparedness Cycle
Evaluate/Improve
• Provides structure and content for
the Comprehensive Assessment
System (under development), State
Preparedness Reports, and the GAP
Analysis
• Helps characterize corrective action
processes and improvement plans
Exercise
• Provides structure and content for
HSEEP Exercise and Evaluation
Guides
• Informs objectives for conducting
exercises under the National
Exercise Program
Train
• Identifies learning objectives for
course development and course
selection
• Identifies requisite personnel
competencies
Plan
• Provides content and objectives for
planning guides and technical
assistance, e.g., CPG 101
The
NPG and TCL
National
drive decisions
Preparedness
throughout the
Guidelines
’ cycle
preparedness
• Provides target outcomes to plan
against
TCL
Organize/Equip
• Provides structure and content for
the Cost-to-Capabilities Analysis
(under development)
• Identifies equipment and personnel
needs using NIMS Resource
Typing & Equipment Lists
National Incident Management System (NIMS)
What’s New
The National Incident Management System (NIMS) released in
December 2008 supersedes the March 2004 version of NIMS.
The basic purpose, scope and principles of the document remain
unchanged. The majority of changes impact the organization and
readability of the document while ensuring that it adequately
reflects the importance of preparedness.
The following is a detailed description of the modifications
incorporated into the new NIMS document.
What NIMS Is:
What NIMS Is NOT:
A comprehensive, nationwide,
systematic approach to incident
management, including the Incident
Command System, Multiagency
Coordination Systems, and Public
Information (HSPD 5,7,8)
A set of preparedness concepts and
principles for all hazards
Essential principles for a common
operating picture and interoperability of
communications and information
management
Standardized resource management
procedures that enable coordination
among different jurisdictions or
organizations
Scalable, so it may be used for all
incidents (from day-to-day to large-scale)
A dynamic system that promotes
ongoing management and maintenance
A response plan
Only used during large-scale incidents
A communications plan
Only applicable to certain emergency
management/incident response
personnel
Only the Incident Command System or
an organization chart
A static system
NRF/NIMS Coordination Structures
Regional
Level
Field Level
NIMS Role
Multiagency Coordination System
National
Incident
Coordinator
PFO/JFO
Coordination
Group
Multiagency Coordination Entity
National
Level
 Strategic coordination
Multiagency Coordination
Centers/EOCs
 Support and coordination
Local
Emergency
Operations
Center
State
Emergency
Operations
Center
Joint Field
Office
Regional
Response
Coordination
Center
National
Operations
Center
Incident Command
 Directing on-scene emergency
management
A Local Area Command is
established when needed due
to the complexity or number of
incidents.
Local
Area
Command
Incident
Command
Post
Incident
Command
Post
Incident
Command
Post
Role of regional components
varies depending on scope and
magnitude of the incident.
The NRP includes slight variations of the base
structure for terrorism response and Federal-toFederal support
Reorganization Of The NIMS Document
The December 2008 version of NIMS reorders the key
components to emphasize the role of preparedness and to mirror
the progression of an incident. This will aide in alleviating the
misperception that NIMS is only the Incident Command System
(ICS).
ORDER OF SECTIONS IN 2004 NIMS
ORDER OF SECTIONS IN 2008
 Command and Management
 Preparedness
 Preparedness
 Communications and Information
Management
 Resource Management
 Resource Management
 Communications and Information
Management
 Command and Management
 Supporting Technologies
 Ongoing Management and
Maintenance
 Ongoing Management and
Maintenance
 National Integration Center
Supporting Technologies
Reorganization Of The NIMS Document
Better integrated nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)
and the private sector
Emergency management and incident response activities should
be coordinated among all appropriate agencies and
organizations including NGOs and the private sector. To that end,
NGOs and the private sector actions have been more fully
integrated throughout NIMS.
Clarified the linkages between the National Response
Framework (NRF) and NIMS
NIMS and the NRF are designed to improve the Nation’s incident
management capabilities and efficiency. While the 2004 NIMS
explained its linkage to the National Response Plan, the 2008
NIMS has been revised to incorporate NRF principles to ensure
accuracy between the two documents.
Reorganization Of The NIMS Document
Included the term Emergency Management/Response
Personnel to promote inclusivity
The term Emergency Management/Response Personnel was
added to the document as an all encompassing term to include
first responders, emergency managers, and all organizations
and individuals in various levels of governments as well as
NGOs and private sector organizations with roles in incident
management.
Utilized graphics and examples
To help familiarize stakeholders with key NIMS principles, the
document was augmented to draw the readers to certain
concepts and help them better understand processes. This was
accomplished through graphics, tables, call-out boxes and
highlighting.
2008 NIMS
COMPONENT-BY-COMPONENT CHANGES AND ADDITIONS
Preparedness
•This component was greatly expanded to highlight the
importance of preparedness within NIMS, and define its
relationship to all other components. Examples include:
•Additional roles of elected and appointed officials to define
their responsibilities prior to and during an incident
Major Responsibilities of
Elected and Appointed
Officials
1.Clearly state
agency/jurisdiction policy
1.Evaluate effectiveness and
correct deficiencies
1.Support a multiagency
approach
2008 NIMSCOMPONENT-BY-COMPONENT
CHANGES AND ADDITIONS
Added key roles of NGOs and private sector,
detailing how they should be integrated into
preparedness efforts
Added information on Continuity of Operations
(COOP) and Continuity of Government (COG)
planning to help ensure the maintenance of essential
functions during incidents
Expanded information on mutual aid
agreements and assistance agreements,
describing the various types of agreements
and the potential elements they should include
2008 NIMSCOMPONENT-BY-COMPONENT
CHANGES AND ADDITIONS
Communications & Information Management
This component was heavily revised to better
articulate the importance of communications and
information management and is now comprised of
three main sections.
Concepts and Principles section contains the
following subsections:
•Common Operating Picture
•Interoperability
•Reliability, Scalability, and Portability
•Resiliency and Redundancy
2008 NIMSCOMPONENT-BY-COMPONENT
CHANGES AND ADDITIONS
Resource Management
Improvements include:
Better articulates that the resource
management process can be separated into
two parts:
•Preparedness (conducted on a continual
basis)
•Response (managing resources during
an incident)
2008 NIMSCOMPONENT-BY-COMPONENT
CHANGES AND ADDITIONS
Command and Management
Most concepts and principles within this
component were not altered. Rather, this
Component was revised to add clarity and
better explain Command and Management
concepts and principles, Clarified the purpose
of Area Command and how it fits into ICS
2008 NIMSCOMPONENT-BY-COMPONENT
CHANGES AND ADDITIONS
Expanded the Multiagency Coordination System
(MACS) section to better define the process of
Multiagency Coordination and the elements that make
up the System
Replaced the term MAC Entities with MAC Groups
•Major system elements within MACS now
include Joint Field Offices (JFOs), Emergency
Operation Centers (EOCs) and communications/
dispatch centers.
ANY QUESTIONS
?
http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/index.shtm
Five-Year NIMS Training Plan Update
2009 National Preparedness
Training and Exercise Conference
23
Introduction & Background


Five-Year NIMS Training Plan (FYNTP) first
published in February 2008
The FYNTP was a culmination of a major effort
not only by the National Integration Center, but
several working groups consisting of individuals
from all levels of government, various disciplines
, the private sector and NGO’s
24
Introduction & Background

The primary purposes included:
 Providing a blueprint to guide FEMA activities
in support/development of NIMS training
nationally
 Providing stakeholders (especially training
administrators) with an idea of where NIMS
training was headed on a national scale
 Providing definitive guidance on specific NIMS
training courses and in organizational budget
planning efforts
FYNTP Strategic Objectives



Define the national core curriculum for NIMS
and provide information on NIMS courses in the
core curriculum, applicable to all levels of
government, the private sector, and NGOs.
Provide baselines for emergency
management/response personnel qualifications,
based on development of core competencies for
NIMS-based incident management positions.
Serve as a regularly updated compilation of
training making up the national core curriculum
for NIMS and Personnel-qualification guidance
Update of FYNTP – Forthcoming?

Based on …
 Some additional research and analytic work
 Examination of possible evaluation plans for
NIMS training nationally
 Development of elements of the conceptual
framework to identify MACS core
competencies
 The 5 year training plan is in the final
stages of internal review before going out
for public comment this fall and hopefully
for an April 2010 release.
2009 National Preparedness
Training and Exercise Conference
27
Major Changes


Compliance recommendations left out of FYNTP
(to reduce confusion with other compliance
guidance docs)
Streamlined “front matter,” the explanatory text
at the beginning, to ensure its applicability to
audience
2009 National Preparedness
Training and Exercise Conference
28
Major Changes
 Review
existing information for
MACS core competencies, ultimately
to guide further development of
MACS training (including an
appendix)
Several Specific Changes



Language and document structure more
suited to training administrators
Some clarifications of course contact hours
and instructor qualification (following
current EMI guidance)
Language specifically allowing use of other
agencies’ approved (self-approved)
courses
2009 National Preparedness
Training and Exercise Conference
30
Longer Term Recommendations
(a sampling, in no particular order)
Clarify still further who needs to take
which courses (e.g., middle managers
and ICS 300/400)
 Shift emphasis of concept model from
compliance to competence,
experience based capacity (having
credentials should reflect both)

2009 National Preparedness
Training and Exercise Conference
31
Longer Term Recommendations
(a sampling, in no particular order)


Capture better sense of the many different
parts of personnel development (and
career pathways) for emergencymanagement/incident response personnel
 For example, outstanding ICs may not
always have right leadership
characteristics to be as effective in
coordination setting of MACS
Integrate NIMS training and exercise
activities
FYNTP


Making some initial minor changes and then it
will be presented for comment.
Comments will be reviewed, document to reflect
potential changes


QUESTIONS?
http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/NIMSTrai
ningCourses.shtm
NIMS ICS All-Hazard Position
Specific Training – A Way
Forward
34
Introduction


NIMS ICS Position Specific training is designed
to provide all-hazards competencies and
behaviors for the eight Command and General
Staff positions and for specific unit leaders under
ICS
The competencies in the training are focused
around the ability of the student to assume the
position responsibilities, lead assigned
personnel, communicate effectively, and to
ensure the completion of assigned actions to
meet identified objectives for the position
Introduction


(Continued)
NIMS ICS Position Specific training should be
completed by personnel who desire to eventually
be certified as a member of a Type III Incident
Management Team (IMT) or who desire to seek
credentials/certification in an ICS Command and
General Staff or unit leader position
Personnel qualification relies on a combination of
training, operational experience (during
exercises or incidents), job shadowing, and
administrative requirements (such as agency
association and criminal background checks).
Introduction


(Continued)
Credentialed personnel in an ICS Command and
General Staff or unit leader position must
supplement training for a candidate to meet
minimum expectations to qualify for service in
an all-hazards NIMS position during a complex
multi-jurisdictional incident nationwide (incidents
that require responders to hold credentials
under the National Emergency Responder
Credentialing System)
Students who wish to complete NIMS ICS AllHazards Command and General Staff and Unit
Leader position specific training should have
completed ICS-100, 200, 300, and 400 training
Course Status to Date








NIMS ICS All-Hazards Incident Commander
Course (L-950)
NIMS ICS All-Hazards Operations Section Chief
Course (L-958)
All-Hazards Planning Section Chief Course (L-962)
All-Hazards Logistics Section Chief Course (L-967)
All-Hazards Finance/Administration Section Chief
Course (L-973)
All-Hazards Liaison Officer Course (L-956)
All-Hazards Public Information Officer Course (L952)
All-Hazards Safety Officer Course (L-954)
Course Status to Date









(Continued)
All-Hazards Public Information Officer Course (L952)
All-Hazards Safety Officer Course (L-954)
All-Hazards Resource Unit Leader Course (L-965)
All-Hazards Situation Unit Leader Course (L-964)
All-Hazards Communication Unit Leader Course
(L-969)
All-Hazards Supply Unit Leader Course (L-970)
All-Hazards Finance/Administration Unit Leader
Course (L-975)
All-Hazards Division/Group Supervisor Course (L960)
All-Hazards Facility Unit Leader Course (L-971)
Assumptions



DHS/FEMA should have one agreed upon set of NIMS ICS
Position Specific training materials based on all-hazards
competencies and behaviors (THESE ARE THE MATERIALS)
NIMS ICS Position Specific training should be completed by
personnel who desire to eventually be certified as a member
of a Type III Incident Management Team (IMT) or who
desire to seek credentials/certification in an ICS position
(Note: NIMS ICS Position Specific Training courses are not
part of NIMS “required” training)
The completion of ICS-100, 200, 300 and 400 training does
not certify or credential a person in an ICS position as part of
the National Emergency Responder Credentialing System or
in other words the completion of ICS training (100 thru 400)
does not qualify someone to be an incident commander; or a
planning section chief; etc.
Assumptions



(Continued)
More training alone will not necessarily “qualify” a person
to serve in an ICS position
 Personnel qualification relies on a combination of
training, operational experience, field mentoring,
participation in drills, exercises, ICS simulations, etc.
NIMS ICS Position Specific Training should be conducted
by qualified instructors (minimum instructor standards
need to be established and adhered to)
NIMS ICS Position Specific Training cannot simply
be “released” through the Fire Discipline (we need
an all-hazards approach; 9 disciplines)
http://training.fema.gov/emicourses/allhazardscourses.asp
Federal NIMS Implementation
Credentialing Guidelines
ER FOG, ICS Forms
JFO Incident Management Handbook
Department of Education & NIMS
Credentialing Guidelines
 The new guidelines started out from the old 2007
credentialing doctrine in the NIIMS. As the development
group looked at the issue it discussed that credentialing has
to cover federal, state, local, EMAC critical resources and
volunteers. It also has to cover working personnel in critical
infrastructure facilities. There was a thought to use two
photo pieces of identification but that could be a problem at
critical infrastructure facilities, so lists might be used with a
photo ID. States will coordinate the entry system and the
details of the badging.
 The Credentialing Guidance is in final review and should be
released the fall 0f 2009.
Emergency Response
Field Operations Guide
&ICS Forms
The FEMA ICS Field Operations Guide (FOG) has
been approved and has been sent to printing and
will be available hopefully within the next two
months. The ICS forms had some minor changes
and will be out this fall.
This will be a national guide for Incident Command
field operations and how the planning cycles should
work and general explanation and set up of the
positions in the incident command post and field
operations.
Department of Education & NIMS
U.S. Department of Education Office of Safe and Drug Free
Schools (OSDFS) has information on their NIMS training
requirements and grant programs. There are two grant
programs the Readiness and Emergency management for
Schools (REMS) and Emergency Management for Higher
Education (EMHE) that require them to meet certain training
and NIMS implementation activities. The attached
documents outline the specifics of the training and
activities. This would also apply if the schools or districts
were receiving any Homeland security grant funding
through the Department of Education. There are U.S.
Department of Education project officers in each region that
can help with access the grant funding or queries can be
asked to the OSDFS office directly. The web site is
http://rems.ed.gov/index.cfm?event=NIMS .
Region 10 State NIMS Coordinators
David B. Kang
Program Manager, Planning
State of Alaska
Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
Division of Homeland Security and
Emergency Management
Voice: 907-428-7041
Fax: 907-428-7009
david.kang@alaska.gov
Lonni Nicoll
Domestic Preparedness Planner
Oregon Emergency Management
PO Box 14370, Salem, OR 97301
503-378-2911 Ext. 22233
lnicoll@oem.state.or.us
Alternate email: lonnelle.nicoll@state.or.us
Randi Hufford
Idaho DHS
O: 208.272.3309
C: 208.921.3050
rhufford@bhs.idaho.gov
Jim Kadrmas
Washington Military Department
Emergency Management Division
Building 20, MS TA-20
Camp Murray, WA 98430-5112
j.kadrmas@emd.wa.gov
Questions or comments contact:
Matthew P Bernard
NIMS Coordinator
FEMA Region X
425-487-4634
Matthew.bernard1@dhs.gov