Release Date: December 18, 2008
Release Number: HQ-08-259

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS)
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today released a revised
National Incident Management System (NIMS)-the national standard for
incident management. NIMS establishes standardized incident
management processes, protocols, and procedures that all federal,
state, tribal and local responders will use to coordinate and conduct
response actions.

NIMS expands on the original version released in March 2004 by
clarifying existing NIMS concepts, better incorporating preparedness
and planning and improving the overall readability of the document.
The revised document also differentiates between the purposes of NIMS
and the National Response Framework (NRF) by identifying how NIMS
provides the action template for the management of incidents, while
the NRF provides the policy structure and mechanisms for
national-level policy for incident management.

"The National Incident Management System has been the single most
significant improvement in incident management since the Department of
Homeland Security was formed in 2003," FEMA Administrator David
Paulison said. "It has enhanced interoperability among emergency
responders at all levels of government and is the product of a
collaborative effort involving hundreds of emergency personnel from
across the nation. We incorporated lessons learned from Hurricane
Katrina, clarified incident command system concepts, increased
emphasis on planning and mutual aid, expanded the
intelligence/investigation function, and better aligned the NIMS
document with the National Response Framework," said Paulison.

With the oversight of FEMA, the newly released NIMS followed an
extensive revision involving over 100 partners from all levels of
government, private sector, nongovernmental organizations (NGO), and
subject matter experts representing a broad spectrum of emergency
management and incident response disciplines. Throughout three
official nationwide comment periods, FEMA reviewed nearly 6,000
comments from more than 280 individuals and organizations, including
extensive review and recommendations made by the National Advisory
Council (NAC).

The basic tenets of NIMS remain the same. There have been several
improvements to the revised NIMS document which will aid in
readability and usefulness of preparing, preventing, and responding to
incidents. For example, the revised document places greater emphasis
on the role of preparedness and has reorganized its components to
mirror the progression of an incident. Recognizing the importance of
private sector partners and NGOs in incident response, FEMA has
ensured that those entities have been more fully integrated throughout
NIMS. The new document is consistent with the NRF, and together they
provide a single, comprehensive approach to incident management.

Further information on preparedness programs is available at
www.dhs.gov and www.fema.gov.

FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for,
preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering
from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including
acts of terror.