National Incident Management System (N.I.M.S.)

Implemented by Presidential Directive in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the National Incident Management System (N.I.M.S.) provides a consistent nationwide template to enable all government, private-sector, and nongovernmental organizations to work together to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity. Based upon emergency management and incident response best practices, the National Incident Management System represents a core set of doctrine, concepts, principles, terminology, and organizational processes that enables effective, efficient, and collaborative incident management. 

Benefits of N.I.M.S. Include:

• A unified approach to incident management; 

• standard command and management structures; 

• emphasis on preparedness, mutual aid and resource management

• a common foundation for training and other preparedness efforts, 

• communicating and sharing information with other responders 

• and with the public, ordering resources to assist with a response effort, 

• and for integrating new technologies and standards to support incident management.

Like all jurisdictions across the nation, Osceola County naturally benefits from N.I.M.S.'.  Aspects including unified approach to incident management; standard command and management structures; and emphasis on preparedness, mutual aid and resource management. It also provides a common foundation for training and other preparedness efforts, communicating and sharing information with other responders and with the public, ordering resources to assist with a response effort, and for integrating new technologies and standards to support incident management. For the first time, all of the nation’s emergency responders will use a common language, and a common set of procedures when working individually and together to keep America safe. 

In addition to the standard benefits of N.I.M.S., Osceola County's pro-active approach has resulted in various additional extraordinary benefits to our public safety system, including:

• Improved capabilities in Incident Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, Finance, Public Information, Safety, Liaison, and Communications

• Establishment of pre-set Incident Action Plans (I.A.P.s) for critical hazards including Winter Weather, Hazardous Materials, Severe Thunderstorms, Pipeline Emergencies, Wildfire, Flooding, Active Shooter, etc.

• Ensuring community activities such as parades and festivals are safer by ensuring an established Incident Action Plan (I.A.P.) to coordinate resources and public safety.

• An established Incident Management Team (I.M.T.) composed of specially trained and equipped first responders that are deployed to apply incident management concepts in complex incidents

• Interoperable Communications systems that allow for communications amongst all first responders, mutual aid partners, and even private entities