The National Incident Management System (NIMS) provides a systematic, proactive approach to guide departments and agencies at all levels of government, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to work seamlessly to prevent, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of incidents, regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity, in order to reduce the loss of life and property and harm to the environment. NIMS works hand in hand with the National Response Framework (NRF). NIMS provides the template for the management of incidents, while the NRF provides the structure and mechanisms for national-level policy for incident management.
This updated document reflects upcoming changes which will take place on July 1, 2012. This tool ws developed to assist hospitals with National Incident Management System (NIMS) implementation. The compliance objectives are mandated, however the examples to achieve compliance are only suggestions. Hospitals may have other means for demonstrating compliance.
Hospitals may use a vendor-created or in-person training course. The NIMS Information Center (NIC) recognizes that many operational aspects of NIMS, including ICS training, are available through state, local and tribal training agencies and bia private training vendors.
Hospitals verify their NIMS compliance by meeting the fourteen NIMS elements.
NIMS courses ICS-100, ICS-200 and IS-700 or their equivalents should be completed by:
Hospital personnel who are likely to assume a leadership ICS position in the Hospital Command Center or who have a primary responsibility for emergency management.
Hospital Emergency Preparedness Committee Members/persons responsible for the Emergency Management Plan.
The Emergency Program Manager.
In addition, the Emergency Program Manager should complete IS-800 B or equivalent.
All hospitals and healthcare systems receiving Federal preparedness and response grants, contracts or cooperative agreements (e.g., Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program, Department of Homeland Security grants) must work to implement the National Incident Management System (NIMS).
Hospital and healthcare systems are defined as all facilities that receive medical and trauma emergency patients on a daily basis. These facilities do not include non-hospital receivers (i.e., nursing homes, assisted living communities, long-term care facilities and specialty hospitals (i.e. psychiatric, rehabilitation facilities). However, non-hospital receivers are strongly encouraged to work with their local hospitals, public health departments and emergency management to integrate applicable elements of NIMS Implementation (i.e. planning, communications, resources) to allow for better communication and coordination.
