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<br />
<br />FACT SHEET: Implementation of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) by Local
<br />Governments
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<br />Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2005 (October 1,2004- September 30, 2005) is a start up year for NIMS implementation, Full
<br />compliance with the NIMS is not required for you to receive FFY 2005 grant funds; however, local governments are
<br />encouraged to achieve full NIMS implementation during FFY 2005 to the maximum extent possible, Guidance concerning full
<br />NIMS implementation, required by October I, 2006, will be released as indicated below, The following points do not
<br />represent all of the actions necessarv to fully implement the NIMS: they do define all FFY 2005 NIMS compliance
<br />requirements:
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<br />Q Completing the NIMS Awareness Course: "National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction"
<br />IS-700
<br />This independent study course developed by the Emergency Management Institute (EMI) explains the purpose, principles, key
<br />components and benefits ofNIMS and is the only NIMS training currently available, The course is available on-line at
<br />http://training,fema,gov/EMIWebIIS/andrequiresforty-fiveminutestothreehourstocomplete,IS-700 is not an Incident
<br />Command System course, We recommend, as a minimum, those persons responsible for the implementation and supervision
<br />ofNIMS within the emergency services disciplines and government administration complete this training.
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<br />Q Formally recognizing the NIMS and adopting the NIMS principles and policies
<br />Local governments should establish legislation, executive orders, resolutions, or ordinances to formally adopt the NIMS, We
<br />recommend the adoption ofNIMS be recorded in an official document. Consider one of the options mentioned as well as your
<br />Emergency Operations Plan or minutes of a city council/board of supervisors meeting, A resolution template is available,
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<br />Q Institutionalizing the use of the Incident Command System (ICS)
<br />Local jurisdictions must adopt the use ofICS (consistent with the concepts and principles taught by VDEM & DHS) across the
<br />entire response system. Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced ICS courses as well as ICSIEOC Interface are available from
<br />VDEM, Our training schedule may be found at www.vaemergency.com/train. We recommend citing the use ofICS within the
<br />NIMS adoption document, with language such as that found in the resolution template, Additionally, records ofICS training
<br />for emergency response personnel should be maintained. First responders should complete Basic ICS or level 100 & 200 ICS
<br />training; first responder supervisors should complete the latter and Intermediate ICS or level 300 ICS training; potential
<br />incident commanders should complete the three previously cited levels and Advanced ICS or level 400 ICS training.
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<br />Q Establish a NIMS baseline by determining which NIMS requirements you already meet and develop an
<br />implementation plan.
<br />We recognize that local governments have already implemented many of the concepts and protocols identified in the NIMS,
<br />The NIMS Integration Center (NIC) was established by the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide strategic direction for
<br />and oversight of the National Incident Management System, supporting both routine maintenance and continuous refinement of
<br />the system and its components over the long term, The NIC has developed the NIMS Capability Assessment Support Tool
<br />(NIMCAST), a web-based self-assessment system to evaluate incident response and management capabilities, This tool can
<br />assist in determining the extent to which you are already compliant, as well as identify the NIMS requirements that you are not
<br />currently meeting, NIMCAST is available for use at www,fema,gov/nimcast/index,isp,
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<br />Federal preparedness assistance will be leveraged to complete NIMS implementation by FFY 2006 (October 1,2005). To
<br />receive FFY 2006 (October 1. 2005-September 30. 2006) preparedness funding, the minimum FFY 2005 compl iance
<br />requirements described above must be met. Applicants will be required to certify as part of their FFY 2006 grant applications
<br />that they have met the FFY 2005 NIMS requirements, By FFY 2007 (October 1,2006), Federal preparedness assistance will
<br />be conditioned by full compliance with the NIMS, Additional information about NIMS requirements and resources for
<br />achieving compliance will be forthcoming from the NIC, The NIC web page, www,fema.gov/nims/nims,shtm. will be updated
<br />regularly with information about the NIMS and further guidance for implementation.
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<br />Point of Contact: Sam Hoffman (804) 897 6500 Ext. 6559 E-Mail: sam.hoffman@vdem,virginia,gov.
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<br />3/15/05
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