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NATIONAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AIDS INCIDENT PREVENTION, RESPONSE, AND RECOVERY John Scholz, State Coordinator, Maryland Incident Management Team, retired Anne Arundel County Fire Department Deputy Chief and Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute Instructor
Introduction from Michael Cox, Executive Director, Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute
Successful businesses, regardless of their size, are organized around various principles for success. Efficiency, proficiency, customer service and product delivery are all terms that are synonymous with business success. To attain these principles, businesses must have in place a framework or business management model to direct the various organizational tasks and operations. This ensures day-to-day processes are achieved and the attainment of the organization’s goals. Like a private business, it is imperative that EMS, Fire and Rescue organizations also utilize a tried and proven organizational model that can be employed for both
business practices, as well as emergency scene operations. Since the 1970’s, EMS, Fire and Rescue organizations have utilized multiple organizational management model frameworks to meet their needs. While the wildland community had the most experience with these types of prototypical model frameworks, it took a presidential directive to create the National Incident Management System (NIMS). This directive made it mandatory for all EMS, Fire, Rescue, law enforcement agencies and other response agencies to adopt this all-hazards model. Over time the NIMS model has proven to be an effective framework for emergency responders. NIMS is modular, works for any type of incident, is readily expandable, uses common terminology and works
for multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional responses. More importantly, this system improves the safety of our responders, enhances communication, and makes the best use of our existing resources. While it has been around for nearly 20 years now, I think everyone would agree it is a simple system that can be utilized to manage an academy open house or community event, as well as, a multi-state emergency response event lasting for multiple operational periods. However, to be successful NIMS should be employed in the manner it was developed. In the article that follows, Deputy Chief John Scholz, Maryland Incident Management Team State Coordinator, retired Anne Arundel County Fire Department and MFRI Instructor will talk about NIMS; its history, growth and changes.
NIMS • A CONTEMPORARY OVERVIEW Created in 2004, the National Incident Management System (NIMS) provides all responders throughout the U.S. with a common incident-management standard.
In 2019, the latest version of NIMS was released without significant changes. As it’s a nationally recognized standard designed to support responders, change came slowly.
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