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PRE-DELIBERATION FOR DISCUSSION ONLY OCTOBER, 2017

2017 NIMS Stakeholder Webinars OverviewModerator Guide [*5 to MUTE / UNMUTE PARTICIPANT LINES]

Prior to Start [Hi Everyone. We’re going to get started in just a few minutes…]

If you would like to download the presentation, please do so now in the file share box at the bottom of the screen. We will hide this box during the presentation to conserve space, but it will be available again afterwards.

[Slide 1] Slide 1 (Cover Slide) Good [morning/afternoonHello and w]. Welcome to this review of the 2017 NIMS

rollout webinarrefresh. The purpose of today’s webinar presentation is to discuss the 2017 National Incident Management System—or NIMS—doctrine.

[Introductions – Moderator and FEMA leadership in attendance—Name and Title, mention support staff in the room]

Thank you for dialing in today. We are conducting today’s session with an online presentation and audio through conference call. If you have technical difficulties, press *0 to connect with the operator—or email [email protected] for technical support. This email address is also at the bottom of each slide.

[Slide 2] Slide 2 (Agenda) During this presentation, we are going to :We have a full agenda for the next

hour. During today’s session we’re going to:

d Discuss the 2017 NIMS overall and;

Rreview the updates by component—which is what the major sections of the document are called.d—; and

o Discuss next steps, including updates to associated guides, training, and other supporting materials.

We also have set aside time after the briefing to answer questions.

Our primary goal today is to share the updates to NIMS for your awareness and understanding; so you can begin incorporating them into your organizations.

FEMA National Preparedness Directorate / National Integration Center 1


[Slide 3] Slide 3 (Housekeeping)[Slide 4] Before we begin, just a few housekeeping items…

[Slide 5] If you experience any audio issues, please press *0 to connect with the FEMA operator.

[Slide 6] Participant lines are currently muted to block out background noise and make sure everyone can hear clearly.

[Slide 7] If you have any questions during the presentation portion, you can submit them using the chat function on the left side of your Adobe Connect screen.

[Slide 8] Just click on “Everyone” to send to the whole group; or,

[Slide 9] If you’d like to send a question to only the speakers, click on “Host.”

[Slide 10] During the Question and Answer portion of the presentation you can continue to use the chat function if you’d like, but we will also open the phone lines to take verbal questions.

[Slide 11] /Pause/

[Slide 12] On the Adobe Connect screen there is an unofficial transcript of the webinar provided in real time.

[Slide 13] Please note that this is a live service and it may not always be perfectly accurate.

[Slide 14] You may also have noticed that prior to the start of the webinar, there was a box that allowed you to download copies of the revised NIMS and the webinar slides.

[Slide 15] We have removed that in order to conserve space on the screen, but it will be available again after the conclusion of the webinar.

[Slide 16]

[Slide 17] Slide 4 (National Incident Management System (NIMS)—Overview) Every day, incidents across the United States necessitate that jurisdictions and

organizations work together to:

o share resources,

o integrate tactics, and

o take actions to meet the needs of communities before, during, and after disasters.

NIMS provides a consistent, common, nationwide approach and vocabulary to enable the whole community to work together seamlessly and manage all threats and hazards.



This is true whether the incident is small and local, or a complex disaster involving a coordinated national response. NIMS applies to all incidents, regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity.

[Slide 18] Slide 5 (NIMS Refresh—History) Since the last version of NIMS was released in 2008, the Nation has increasingly

faced more complex emergencies; and the incident management community continues to evolve accordingly.

The 2017 refresh retains key concepts and principles from the 2004 and 2008 versions, while incorporating policy updates and lessons learned from exercises and real-world incidents.

It also provides additional guidance for Emergency Operations Centers - or EOCs, which were only discussed in general terms in the 2008 NIMS.

/Pause/ Because NIMS guides the efforts of the whole community, FEMA led a whole

community effort to review and refresh the document. FEMA held a 30-day national engagement period from April to May 2016, during which stakeholders submitted 2,862 comments.

Multiple interdisciplinary adjudication panels, focus groups, and targeted reviews helped FEMA adjudicate the comments, and the resulting changes were incorporated into NIMS.

On October 17th, FEMA released 2017 the third edition of NIMS, superseding the 2008 version.



[Slide 19] Slide 6 (NIMS—Highlights) NIMS strengthens the guidance for effective incident management in several key

ways. Specifically, by:

o Reiterating concepts and principles of the 2004 and 2008 versions of NIMS;

/Pause/o Reflecting and incorporating policy updates and lessons learned from

exercises and real-world incidents;

/Pause/o Clarifying the processes and terminology for qualifying, certifying, and

credentialing incident personnel, which builds a foundation for the development of a national qualification system;

/Pause/o Clarifying that NIMS is more than just the Incident Command System – or

(ICS – ) and that it applies to all incident personnel –from the incident command post to the National Response Coordination Center;

/Pause/o Describing common functions and terminology for staff in Emergency

Operations Centers-or EOCs, while remaining flexible to allow for differing missions, authorities, and resources of EOCs across the nation;

/Pause/o And finally, explaining the relationship among ICS, EOCs, and senior

leaders/policy groups.

/Pause/ Now, let’s walk through the document and look at these topics in more detail.



[Slide 20] Slide 7 (NIMS Document Organization) This is a comparison of the current table of contents vscompared with. the 2008

oneversion, so that we can look at the high level differences.

A few things to highlight:

o First, we removed the preparedness component, since preparedness is now addressed comprehensively in the National Preparedness System, so the content in NIMS was duplicative.

o The next thing I would like to point out is that we renamed the “Command and Management” component to “Command and Coordination” in order to better reflect the range of activities described within that section.

Finally, I would like to note that, although the table of contents looks longer, the actual revised document is approximately 25% shorter. We tightened up the language and removed discipline-specific information in order to keep the NIMS high-level and applicable to all.

[Slide 21] Slide 8 (Fundamentals and Concepts) The first component is Fundamentals and Concepts serves as the introductory

section.

This component includes:

o a high-level summary of what NIMS is,

o a brief history of NIMS,

o a description of its guiding principles, and

o an overview of what you will find in the rest of the document.

/Pause/ The NIMS Guiding Principles have historically been “flexibility” and

“standardization”. Those have not changed, but this year we’re adding one more— and that's “unity of effort.”

o Unity of effort enables organizations with different jurisdictional authorities or functional responsibilities to support each other—while maintaining their own authority and accountability.

o This has always been a foundational concept to NIMS, so the only change is that it is now explicitly included as a guiding principle.

These principles—flexibility, standardization, and unity of effort—underlie all of the content in NIMS and serve as the guiding principles for each of the NIMS components.



[Slide 22] Slide 9 (Resource Management) The next component is Resource Management.

Resource management involves collaboration and coordination across jurisdictions and organizations to manage resources—including:

o Personnel,o Equipment, o Teams,o Supplies, and o Facilities.

The Resource Management content component is organized into activities that occur in preparedness and those that occur during an incident.

o Preparedness activities include:

- typing resources,- qualifying, certifying, and credentialing personnel,- planning for resources, and- acquiring, storing, and inventorying resources.

o Resource management activities during an incident include:

- identifying requirements,- ordering and acquiring,- mobilizing,- tracking and reporting,- demobilizing, and- reimbursing and restocking

These changes reflect progress in resource typing and credentialing, and supersede NIMS Guides 0001 and 0002. So those two guides have been taken down from the website.

It also builds a foundation for a National Qualification System—or NQS—which we'll discuss a little bit later…

/Pause/ Throughout the Resource Management component, NIMS emphasizes the role

of the Authority Having Jurisdiction—or AHJ—throughout the resource management discussion.

o An AHJ is an entity that has the authority to establish and administer processes to qualify, certify, and credential personnel for incident-related positions. These can be local, state, tribal, territorial or Federal government departments and agencies, or private sector organizations.

Finally, NIMS expands the guidance on mutual aid and includes new guidance on taking incident assignments and self-dispatching resources.



[Slide 23] Slide 10 (Resource Management Preparedness) In order to ensure that personnel across the Nation are prepared to perform their

incident responsibilities, NIMS includes a performance-based approach to personnel qualifications, certification and credentialing.

This approach builds on existing processes managed by Authorities Having Jurisdictions at across all levels of government and includes three primary steps to performance-based personnel qualifications, which are depicted in the graphic on this slide:

o Qualification is the process through which personnel meet the minimum established criteria, such as training or physical and medical fitness—and demonstrate their ability to fill specific positions.

o Certification/Recertification is the recognition from the AHJ Authority Having Jurisdiction or a third party stating that an individual has met and continues to meet established criteria and is qualified for a specific position.

o Credentialing occurs when the Authority Having Jurisdiction or third party provides documentation—such as an identification card or badge—that identifies the individual and authenticates and verifies their qualification for a particular position.

- While credentialing in this context includes issuing credentials such as identification cards, it is different from an incident-specific badging process.



[Slide 24] Slide 11 (Command and Coordination) Now, we will look at Command and Coordination component.

In NIMS, the old “Command and Management” component is renamed “Command and Coordination” to better reflect the range of systems it describes.

/Pause/ Like earlier versions of NIMS, this component defines common systems and

structures for incident management—from the incident command post to the National Response Coordination Center—and describes how they all fit together.

Specifically, NIMS describes standard systems for four overarching areas of responsibility necessary for effective incident management.:

o The Incident Command System — or ICS— is used to directly manage direct the tactical response to stabilize the incident, save lives, and protect property and the environment.;

o Flexible Emergency Operations Center — or EOC guidance applies to incident support activities, including: - strategic coordination, - resource acquisition, and- information gathering.;

o Multiagency Coordination Group — or MAC Group guidance applies to senior level decision making.;

o And Joint Information Systems — or JIS overlap with ICS, EOC, and MAC Groups and is used to manage public outreach and communication with the media in order to and the public to keep the public them informed about the incident.

[Slide 25] Slide 12 (Incident Command System Structure) There have been no changes to the overall ICS structure.

/Pause/ As in 2008, NIMS describes the Intelligence/Investigations function as an

additional functional area which the Incident Commander can locate in multiple places in the organization structure according to the needs of the incident.



[Slide 26] Slide 13 (Incident Command System) While the overarching structure of ICS remains the same, there have been some

minor terminology updates, including:

o Updating the “manageable span of control” guidance to allow greater flexibility and emphasize the impact of factors such as supervisory experience and the nature of work supervised;

o Provision of consistent definitions for the terms “Incident Management Teams” and "Incident Management Assistance Teams"

- Incident Management Teams—or IMT— refers to a pre-rostered teams that may be assigned to an incident.

- Some IMTs are referred to as Incident Management Assistance Teams— -or IMAT—s, to clarify that they support on-scene personnel and/or the affected jurisdiction, but do not have delegated decision-making authority..

o We also Aaddeding a list of possible command staff advisors—or Technical Specialists assigned to Command Staff—such as Science and Technology Advisor or Access and Functional Needs Advisor; and

o Finally, we addeding “resource team” as an alternative term to “strike team.” This was in deference to the perception that “strike team” sounds aggressive which might present the wrong impression in certain law enforcement circumstances.

The other functions of ICS remain the same, as you will see on the next slide.

[Slide 27] Slide 14 (ICS – Unified & Area Command) These graphics depict Unified Command and Area Command organizations and

no changes were made to these structures.

[Slide 28] Slide 15 (The Planning “P”) Now we will move on to the ICS incident action planning process.

The Planning “P” shown here, is a graphical depiction of the sequence of meetings, work periods, and briefings that comprise the ICS incident action planning cycle.

NIMS includes minor updates to the titles of meetings within the incident planning process, in order to better reflect common practices.


Jake Jarosz, 10/20/17,

add


[Slide 29] Slide 16 (Emergency Operations Centers (EOC)) Moving on to the new Emergency Operations Centers guidance, we wi'll spend a

few slides going in depth through the new content here…

EOCs are facilities where staff perform incident functions including:

o Collecting, analyzing, and sharing information,

o Supporting resource needs and requests, including allocation and tracking,

o Coordinating plans and determining the current and future needs of organizations involved in an incident, and

o In some cases, providing coordination and policy direction.

In order to develop this guidance, FEMA conducted interviews with over 100 local, state, tribal, and territorial EOC leaders from over 60 EOCs to better understand current practices.

One thing that was extremely clear from those interviews was that EOCs vary widely in terms of their missions, their authorities, and their resources.

/Pause/

[Slide 30] Slide 17 (EOCs Continued) To acknowledge this diversity among EOCs, NIMS describes multiple

Emergency Operations Center organization structures, as well as when each structure might be beneficial.

These organization structures include:

o ICS or ICS-like,o Incident Support Model,o And Departmental Organizations

We will discuss the details of these structures in upcoming slides, but it is important to remember that these are just examples.

It is entirely up to the leaders in individual EOCs to determine the structure that best meets their needs. — A decision which depends on factors such as the organization's authorities, resources, and mission.

FEMA will develop additional EOC support tools and guidance after releasing NIMS.



[Slide 31] Slide 18 (ICS or ICS-like Structure) So Hhere is an example of an ICS or ICS-like structure.

Many EOCs across the Nation use ICS, or a modified version of ICS, in their EOCs in order to build on existing familiarity with ICS and facilitate coordination with responders in the field.

Some jurisdictions/organizations use the standard ICS organization and procedures with no modifications.

Others create an “ICS-Like” structure by modifying either:

o Position titles which helps to distinguish EOC personnel from their field counterparts while still looking familiar to anyone with ICS training.

o Or by modifying procedures, such as incident action planning or resource management, to better suit the EOC environment.

[Slide 32] Slide 19 (Incident Support Model Structure) This is an example of an Incident Support model organization.

This is model may work well for EOCs that play strictly support roles.

Organizations that focus their EOC team’s efforts on information, planning, and resource support may choose to separate the situational awareness function from planning and combine the operations and logistics functions into a single incident support structure.

This structure puts the EOC Director in direct contact with those doing situation awareness and information management and streamlines resource sourcing, ordering, and tracking.



[Slide 33] Slide 20 (Departmental Structure) Finally, the Departmental EOC Structure may be used by organizations that use

their day-to-day structure and relationships in their EOC.

This structure is typically led by an emergency manager or senior official who coordinates efforts among the departments and agencies. By operating in the context of their normal relationships, department/agency representatives can function in the EOC with minimal preparation or startup time.

[Slide 34] Slide 21 (EOC Activation Levels) The level of activity within an EOC shrinks or expands according to the size,

scope, and complexity of the incident.

Emergency operations plans often specify levels of activation for their EOC, including which organizations and/or personnel will be in the EOC for specific hazards and activation levels.

/Pause/ Some organizations may opt to use number or color designations of activation

levels for internal communications—although unique level designations can cause confusion when communicating with other organizations.

EOC personnel should use the standard activation level titles listed in NIMS for communication outside their organization.

As you can see on the slide, we have used simple descriptions to define the activation levels, along with criteria for determining the appropriate level. Any of these levels can involve both in-person and off-site personnel coordinating virtually.

The numbers, in this table, reflect the standard NIMS approach of descending numbers meaning higher levels of activation.



[Slide 35] Slide 22 (Multiagency Coordination Group (MAC Group)) We will now discuss the concept of Multiagency Coordination Groups — or MAC

Groups.

MAC Groups, sometimes called policy groups, are part of the off-site incident management structure of NIMS.

MAC Groups

o Are established and organized to make cooperative multiagency decisions.

o They act as a policy-level body during incidents, supporting resource prioritization and allocation, and enabling decision making among elected and appointed officials.

o They consist of senior level representatives from stakeholder agencies or organizations—typically agency administrators, executives, or their designees.

o They do NOT perform incident command functions, nor do they replace the primary functions of operations, coordination, or dispatch organizations.

[Slide 36] Slide 23 (Joint Information Systems) Joint Information Systems — or JIS consist of the processes, procedures, and

tools to facilitate communication to the public, incident personnel, the media, and other stakeholders.

Joint Information Systems integrate incident information and public affairs from a variety of organizations to help ensure coordinated messaging among all incident personnel, whether they are on scene, in an EOC, or in a MAC Group.

A Joint Information Center —or a JIC is a facility that houses Joint Information System operations. o JICs may be established as standalone coordination entities, at incident sites,

or as components of EOCs.



[Slide 37] Slide 24 (Interconnectivity of NIMS Command and Coordination Structures) In addition to describing the individual mMultiagency Ccoordination Ssystems of

ICS, EOC, MAC Group, and JIS, NIMS also describes how they all fit together.

/Pause/o Most incidents are handled locally, by response personnel in the field using

ICS.

/Pause/o If the incident is or becomes large or complex, local EOCs or other EOCs

activate.

/Pause/o EOC staff receive senior-level guidance from MAC Groups to organize

support for the incident.

/Pause/ o Establishing a JIC will help to ensure coordinated and accurate public

messaging among all incident personnel.

/Pause/ The interconnectivity of NIMS structures allows personnel in diverse geographic

areas, with differing operational and support responsibilities, to integrate their efforts through a common set of organizational structures, terminology, and processes.



[Slide 38] Slide 25 (Communications and Information Management) Finally, we will discuss the Communications and Information Management

component.

This section focuses on the systems that provide incident managers and decision organizational leadersmakers with the information they need to make and implement decisions.

Previously, the Key characteristics of communications and information management were:

o Interoperability,o Reliability, Scalability, and Portability, ando Resilience and Redundancy,

We have added "security" as a Key characteristic, in acknowledgement of evolving threats—both cyber and physical—to communications systems.

This section enhances guidance on information management processes to improve data collection plans and social media integration. You will also see geographic information systems—or GIS— considerations incorporated throughout NIMS.

NIMS enhances information management processes by expanding guidance on data collection plans, which —this includes new, detailed examples of essential elements of information and data collection methods.

It also integrates social media and other technological tools and platforms, such as GIS.

o The content discusses social media both as a mechanism for disseminating information to the public, as well as collecting information to aid situational awareness.

[Slide 39] Slide 26 (Conclusion)(Next Steps) Ok, that summarizes the major changes in NIMS.

So, what happens next?

FEMA is working to update independent study and instructor-led courses—we’ll discuss this a little more on the next slide.

We are also working with stakeholders to update the NIMS Implementation Objectives—which is where FEMA clarifies which specific activities are involved in implementing NIMS.

o There will be no change to the NIMS implementation objectives or to the NIMS reporting within the State Preparedness Report for 2017.

FEMA will also develop additional supporting documentation that will accompany the release of NIMS, including additional EOC guidance and tools.


Jake Jarosz, 10/23/17,

It has been our pleasure working with the whole community in the drafting of this update. Many thanks to those who have contributed.


[Slide 40] Slide 27 (NIMS Training Updates) Regarding updates to training—Current courses will remain active until revised

courses are available

The first three NIMS courses to be updated include:

o IS-100: Incident Command System—or ICS

o IS-700: National Incident Management System-or NIMS

o IS-800: National Response Framework -or NRF

Additional courses scheduled for update:

o IS-200: Basic ICS,

o ICS-300: Intermediate ICS,

o ICS-400: Advanced ICS,

o ICS-775: EOC Management and Operations, and

o All of the ICS All-Hazards Position Specific Courses

[Slide 41] Slide 28 (National Qualification System) Before we end, here is a little about the National Qualification System we

mentioned earlier…

The revised resource management content in NIMS builds a foundation to support the development of a national qualification system—Or NQS, which will provide jurisdictions and organizations with guidance to certify their personnel according to national baseline qualifications.

As part of National Qualification System, FEMA is publishing:

o overarching NQS Guidance,

o job titles and position qualifications, and

o position task books for critical incident management positions.

Participating in the national qualification system will be entirely optional, and is not tied to any grant funding.

Organizations with existing qualification systems can continue to use them.

Having a national qualification system means that organizations are able to share qualified personnel easily and confidently, knowing that personnel meet baseline qualifications.

To learn about tools and resources as they are released, we invite you to sign up for NIMS Alerts, using the link shown on the next slide.



[Slide 42] Slide 29 (Continue Your Involvement) If you haven’t done so already, you can download NIMS, along with supporting

guides and tools, and these webinar slides at the conclusion of this webinar. NIMS is also available onfrom FEMA’s website, at the first link shown here on this slide, along with supporting guides and tools.

You can receive up-to-date information on the release of guidance and tools by signing up for NIMS Alerts through the next link on the slide.

More information regarding NIMS Frequently Asked Questions can be found by accessing the FAQ link noted on the slide.

And then finally, if you have additional questions about NIMS not covered in the FAQ, please contact us at [email protected].

[Slide 43] Slide 30 (Questions?)[Slide 44] Now that we’ve gone through the high-level updates to NIMS, we’ll take some

questions that have come in through the Adobe Connect chat function. After we go through the chat questions, we will open the line for questions over the phone.

[Slide 45] As a reminder, please be aware that comments made during today’s webinar are for discussion only.

[Slide 46] [Sample questions to address if there is a pause in questions:]

[Slide 47] EAG FAQ [Sample Question:] Why was the National Incident Management System (NIMS) refreshed?

[Slide 48] [Answer:] The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) works to improve the nation’s ability to manage incidents, events and emergencies. To that end, FEMA reviewed and refreshed NIMS. The updated document reiterates concepts and principles of the 2004 and 2008 versions, while incorporating lessons learned from exercises and real-world incidents, best practices, and changes in national policy

[Slide 49] EAG FAQ [Sample Question:] Will this refresh impact the response and recovery to the 2017 hurricanes?

[Slide 50] [Answer:}The revised document does not include any changes that will disrupt ongoing response and recovery efforts. The impact of the 2017 hurricanes, as well as other recent disasters, validate the lessons learned and best practices FEMA has incorporated into the refreshed NIMS.

[Slide 51] EAG FAQ [Sample Question:] Were key NIMS Components changed?

[Slide 52] [Answer:] Yes. The refreshed NIMS is organized into four elements Fundamentals and Concepts, Resource Management, Command and Coordination, and Communication and Information Management. The 2008 NIMS contained five Components: Preparedness, Communications and Information Management, Resources Management, Management and Coordination, and Ongoing Management and Maintenance.



[Slide 53] EAG FAQ [Sample Question:] Why did FEMA remove the Preparedness Component?

[Slide 54] [Answer:] Since the 2008 version of NIMS, the National Preparedness Goal and National Preparedness System description have been released. These documents describe the nation’s approach to preparedness in much more detail than was in 2004 and 2008 versions of NIMS, and make the NIMS component redundant. The core capabilities under FEMA’s five mission areas – Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery –help us prepare for disasters and emergencies, and achieve the goal of being a secure and resilient nation.



[Slide 55] EAG FAQ [Sample Question:] What is Command and Coordination?

[Slide 56] [Answer:] Command and Coordination within NIMS is designed to enable effective and efficient incident management and coordination by providing a flexible, standardized incident management structure. Command and Coordination includes four fundamental structures: the Incident Command System (ICS), the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), Multiagency Coordination Groups (MAC Groups), and the Joint Information System (JIS). These provide standardization through consistent terminology and established organizational structures.

[Slide 57] EAG FAQ [Sample Question:] Who was involved in the NIMS revision process?

[Slide 58] [Answer:] The NIMS document review and revision process began in May 2015. This revision, led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA’s) National Integration Center (NIC), incorporated stakeholder input throughout the process in the form of working groups, targeted outreach and interviews, plus a National Engagement Period. Participating stakeholders represented a broad spectrum of emergency management and incident response disciplines.

[Slide 59] In April and May 2016, FEMA sponsored a 30-day National Engagement Period, in which stakeholders submitted comments and provided feedback on the draft NIMS. FEMA convened several multi-disciplinary panels, focus groups, and targeted stakeholder reviews to adjudicate those comments and ensure that the document reflects the collective expertise and experience of the whole community.

[Slide 60] EAG FAQ [Sample Question:] What were the general updates and changes to the NIMS document?

[Slide 61] [Answer:] The refreshed NIMS:

[Slide 62] Reiterates concepts and principles of the 2004 and 2008 versions of NIMS;

[Slide 63] Reflects and incorporates policy updates and lessons learned from exercises and real-world incidents;

[Slide 64] Reflects progress in resource typing and mutual aid and builds a foundation for the development of a national qualification system;

[Slide 65] Clarifies that NIMS is more than just the Incident Command System (ICS) and that it applies to all stakeholders with roles in incident management across all five mission areas (Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery);

[Slide 66] Describes common functions and terminology for staff in Emergency Operations Centers (EOC), while remaining flexible to allow for differing missions, authorities, and resources of EOCs nationwide;

[Slide 67] Explains the relationship among ICS, EOC, and senior leaders/policy groups; and

[Slide 68] Enhances guidance on information management processes to improve data collection plans, social media integration, and the use of geographic information systems (GIS).



[Slide 69] EAG FAQ [Sample Question:] What changes have been made to ICS?

[Slide 70] [Answer:] The refreshed NIMS does not contain changes to the Incident Command System (ICS), but adjusts the language in some areas to better reflect current practices. “Manageable span of control” guidance provides flexibility and allows for factors such as supervisory experience and nature of work supervised. This aligns with how ICS has been taught for years, but had not been explicitly stated in the doctrine. The term “resource team” included as an alternative to “strike team” acknowledges that there might be situations when an aggressive-sounding term like “strike team” would be inadvisable. The draft includes updated meeting names and descriptions for the ICS Planning Process, to better align with how the planning process is implemented by stakeholders.

[Slide 71] Incident Commanders maintain the flexibility to locate the intelligence/investigations function in multiple places in the ICS organization structure.

[Slide 72] Additionally, the refreshed NIMS includes potential Command Advisors that the Incident Commander can appoint to Command Staff, such as Science and Technology Advisor, Legal Advisor, and Access and Functional Needs Advisor.

[Slide 73] EAG FAQ [Sample Question:] What are Multi-Agency Coordination (MAC) Groups and how do they differ from Multi-Agency Coordination Systems (MACS)?

[Slide 74] [Answer:] MAC Groups are part of the off-site incident management structure of NIMS. MAC Groups act as a policy-level body during incidents, supporting resource prioritization and allocation, and enabling decision making among elected and appointed officials and those responsible for managing the incident (e.g., the Incident Commander). MAC Groups typically consist of agency administrators, executives, or their designees. Organizations at any level may establish a MAC Group (e.g., local, state, tribal, or federal) or within any discipline (e.g., emergency management, public health, critical infrastructure, or private sector).

[Slide 75] The refreshed NIMS clarifies that multiagency coordination happens at all levels of incident management, and provides guidance for each level: the incident level though Incident Command/Unified Command, EOCs, and at the policy/executive level through MAC Groups.

[Slide 76] Multi-Agency Coordination System (MACS) is an overarching term for the NIMS Command and Coordination systems: Incident Command System, Emergency Operations Centers, MAC Group/policy groups, and Joint Information Systems.



[Slide 77] EAG FAQ [Sample Question:] How does a MAC Group interface with an EOC?

[Slide 78] [Answer:] In some instances, staff in EOCs directly report to MAC Groups or support them in other ways. MAC Groups connected with EOCs are often called Policy Groups.

[Slide 79] EAG FAQ [Sample Question:] Will training be updated? Do I have to re-take IS-700 and/or IS-100?

[Slide 80] [Answer:] FEMA will update the associated NIMS guides, training, and other supporting material to align to the refreshed NIMS. According to FEMA policy, if a person has completed a previous version of a course, they are not required to take the newer version. However, FEMA recommends that people take the newer versions of courses to remain current with the latest developments in NIMS and to ensure they maintain knowledge and skills, especially personnel who are not regularly involved in complex multi-jurisdictional incidents.

[Slide 81] EAG FAQ [Sample Question:] When will the National Qualification System (NQS) be released?

[Slide 82] [Answer:] NQS is under development and FEMA will roll it out in phases. Phase 1 will include the release of the NQS Guideline, along with the NIMS Job Title/Position Qualifications and accompanying Position Task Books (PTBs), NIMS Guideline for Mutual Aid, and the updated NIMS Guideline for the Credentialing or Personnel. A National Engagement Period for these documents closed on June 9. FEMA will adjudicate all of the comments received, revise the documents accordingly, and then submit them for leadership approval.

[Slide 83] [Sample Question:] Do I have to implement these changes to receive grant funding?

[Slide 84] [Answer:] NIMS implementation will continue to be a prerequisite to receive federal preparedness funding and awards. However, the NIMS implementation objectives will be revised to clarify that the implementation of NQS and EOC organization structures are optional.

[Slide 85] [Sample Question:] What kind of guidance tools will be developed to support NIMS?

[Slide 86] [Answer:] FEMA is looking through After Action Report data to identify priorities. Some of the tools being considered include:

[Slide 87] Updated NIMS Guides

[Slide 88] Planning Process Guidance/Template for EOCs

[Slide 89] Supporting guidance for Senior, Elected, and Executive Leadership

[Slide 90] Supporting Documents for Intelligence and Investigation

[Slide 91] [Sample Question:] When will this affect the NIMS implementation questions that are in the Operational Coordination section of the SPR?



[Slide 92] [Answer:] Changes from NIMS will not affect the NIMS Implementation questions in the State Preparedness Reports for 2017, though the questions will likely be updated for 2018 to reflect the revised NIMS Implementation Objectives.

[Slide 93] [Sample Question:] Why did you define IMATs the way you did?

[Slide 94] [Answer:] NIMS defines Incident Management Assistance Teams—or IMATs—in order to clarify the difference between Incident Management Teams and IMATs, and how FEMA’s systems fit into NIMS.

[Slide 95] [Sample Question:] Why didn’t you include X [fill in the blank] in the update?

[Slide 96] [Answer:] NIMS is intended to serve as national guidelines, so the focus is on establishing a baseline common denominator for situations that affect us all.

[Slide 97] [Sample Question:] What happened to Tier I and Tier II resources?

[Slide 98] [Answer:] There was a lot of confusion about the 2008 concepts of Tier I and Tier II resources, so those have been eliminated. The new content simply references whether a resource has been nationally-typed or not.

[Slide 99] [Sample Question:] What is the Science and Technology Advisor?

[Slide 100] [Answer:] In ICS, the Science and Technology Advisor monitors incident operations and advises the incident commander on the integration of science and technology into planning and decision-making and may convene a science and technology advisory group, in order to incorporate additional expertise. In the EOC, the science and technology advisor plays a similar role. They advise on the integration of science and technology into incident planning and decision-making and may convene a science and technology advisory group in order to incorporate additional expertise.

[Slide 101] [Sample Question:] How has the Planning P changed?

[Slide 102] [Answer:] Based on comments received by the whole community, the 2017 NIMS adjusts the Planning P, by:

[Slide 103] Adding the Agency Administrator Meeting,

[Slide 104] Adjusting the Name of the Operations Briefing to the Operational Period Briefing,

[Slide 105] Noting that the Command and General Staff Meeting is optional, and

[Slide 106] Adding the Strategy Meeting as an alternative to the Command and General Staff Meeting.

[Slide 107] In addition, we have added language recognizing that different organizations may use variations of the Planning P graphic in their training and operations, based on their unique needs and processes.

[Slide 108] [Sample Question:] Do organizations have to follow the Planning P exactly as described in NIMS?

[Slide 109] [Answer:] We understand that specific organizations may need to add more detail, or additional steps into process. The NIMS Planning P establishes a national



baseline for the planning process, while recognizing the need for flexibility based on unique needs and circumstances. In the text, we have included language acknowledging that different organizations may use variations of the Planning P graphic in their training and operations based on their unique needs and processes.

[Slide 110] [Sample Question:] Why is this Planning P graphic different from that used by my organization?

[Slide 111] [Answer:] NIMS establishes a common, nationwide approach to incident management. Organizations may add additional detail, or steps into the process in order to account for their unique needs and circumstances.

[Slide 112]

[Slide 113] Slide 31 (Closing) Thanks to everyone for your questions and participation.

If you have questions or comments after the webinar, please contact us at the email address at the bottom of the slide - [email protected].

On behalf of the FEMA National Integration Center, thank you all for joining us during today’s webinar!!
