DISCUSSION 4
Succinctly create 3 tables for each of National Response Framework (NRF), The
National Incidence Management System (NIMS), and the Incident Command System
(ICS). Refer to assigned Read items for this module. In each table, list the primary
functions, elements, or components that each Read item or concept offers or
requires. Next, pull 1 function, element, or component from each table/document
that you think does the most good in accomplishing the mission faced by
responders. Explain why you say this. Finally, do the same for each table/document,
but this time pick the least useful or most difficult if you wish. Explain why and what
would you suggest.
National Response Framework
The National Response Framework (NRF) serves as standardized guide for national
disaster and emergency response (Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA], 2021). The
NRF describes how the United States—at all levels of governance—manages response to all
sorts of hazards under the National Preparedness Goal mission areas of Prevention, Protection,
Mitigation, Response, and Recovery (Nemeth, 2016, pp. 213–295)
The NRF supports the Response mission in four ways: It identifies essential capabilities
necessary for the stabilization of community lifelines; It specifies the necessary actions for
building and delivering the identified essential capabilities; It defines roles and responsibilities
for the community integration of the identified capabilities; It depicts how the Response mission
affects the other four mission areas identified in the previous paragraph (FEMA, 2020b).
The NRF follows five key principles as summarized in the Table 1 below.
Table 1.
Principles Synopsis
Engaged Partnership Whole community engagement; manage risk to
communities and infrastructure
Limits overwhelming resources of one jurisdiction
Individuals, Private, Government, and Non-
government collaboration
Tiered Response Incidents managed at lowest jurisdiction level if
possible
Incidents management begins and ends locally
Scalable, Flexible, and Adaptable
Operational Capabilities
Response activities change to compensate for evolving
needs
Unity of Effort Through Unified
Command
Use of chain of command whilst maintaining
participant authority, responsibility, and accountability
Coordination across jurisdiction
Objectives (Action Plan) mutually developed
Readiness to Act Accounting for and mitigating risk and hazards to
responders
Decisiveness
Most Useful Element to Responders’ Mission
Since the main objective of the Response mission—which the NRF supports—is to
ensure "life safety, protecting property and the environment, stabilizing the incident, and
providing for basic human needs,” the most useful principle of the NRF is that of Readiness to
Act (FEMA, 2020b, p. 28). According to the FEMA Emergency Management Institute,
Readiness to Act requires decisive lifesaving, and property and environment protection actions
(FEMA, 2020b, p. 38). The Institute however acknowledges that this decisiveness ought to
consider the risks and hazards which responders face so that authorities provide measures such as
personal protection equipment and proper training prior to response activities (FEMA, 2020b, p.
38).
Least Useful Element to Responders’ Mission
The spread and cascading effects of some hazards such as wildfires, oil spills, and
biochemical weapons are uncontainable in one jurisdiction. It is possible that authorities at
higher levels of jurisdiction may detect hazards before their local counterparts and hence initiate
response actions prior to concurrent with notification of local authorities. Therefore, the NRF
principle of Tiered Response is not always practical and is the least useful.
National Incident Management System
The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is a framework which enables
communities and the United States to collaborate in preparation for, prevention of, response to,
recovery from, and mitigation of incidents (Nemeth, 2016, pp. 213–295). NIMS applies best
practices to develop a standardized framework which agencies at multiple jurisdiction levels can
tailor to unique threat response activities (FEMA, 2020a).
Table 2 summarizes the guiding principles and components of NIMS.
Table 2.
Principles Synopsis Components Synopsis
Flexibility Adapting actions to size,
jurisdiction, and other
defining characteristics of
incidents
Resource
Management
Identify requirements,
acquisition,
mobilization,
reimbursement,
inventory
Standardization Interoperability among
responding organizations
Similarity organizational
structures
Similar practices
Command and
Coordination
Incident Command
System
Multiagency
Coordination Systems
Public Information
Common terminology
Unity of Effort Common objective while
maintaining independent
organizational authority
and accountability
Communicatio
n and
Information
Management
Interoperability,
reliability, portability,
redundancy in
communication systems
Most Useful Component to Responders’ Mission
Since the “priorities for incident management…[are] saving lives, stabilizing the incident,
and protecting property and the environment” (FEMA, 2020a, p. 21), the most important
component of NIMS is Resource Management. The effectiveness and efficiency of the Response
mission can suffer with poor or lacking Command and Coordination, and or poor or lacking
Communication and Information Management components; however, any deficiency in
availability or quality of resources—equipment, personnel, and replies—makes the objectives of
the Response mission impossible.
Jesus provided two analogies which support this assertion: A person who starts a building
construction project without first accounting for the needed materials can start to build end up
stalling at the foundation level. Likewise, a king who goes in battle with fewer warriors than the
opponent is bound to lose. Without adequate resources, even a good plan can turn into a source
of mockery (Luke 14:28-33 ESV, n.d.)
Least Useful Component to Responders’ Mission
Communication and Information Management is debatably the least useful component of
NIMS. Disasters which require collaboration of organizations from different jurisdiction levels
are bound to introduce some level of diversity in terms of equipment, terminology, and processes
used in response activities. Nevertheless, the unified objectives of the Response mission i.e.,
saving lives, protecting property and the environment often dwarf these discrepancies. To use a
simple analogy, first responders who use different terminology and or equipment need not have
these resources in common prior to applying life-saving actions.
Incident Command System
ICS is a subcomponent of the Command and Coordination component of NIMS (as
depicted in Table 2). “The Incident Command System (ICS) is a standardized approach to
incident management” that provides for a common organization structure / hierarchy and guides
the planning for, building of and adapting of said structure at the scene of the incident. (FEMA,
2018, p. 15). ICS is applicable to both planned and emergency events; planned events need not
be disasters but can include events such as Olympic games, state fairs, and the like (FEMA,
2018).
Table 3 summarizes the ICS functional areas.
Table 3.
Functional Area Synopsis
Command Overall responsibility
Objective, strategies, and priorities setting
Operations Activities and tactics to reach objectives
Planning Resource tracking
Information collection and analysis
Documentation and record keeping
Logistics Resources and Services acquisition to support objective
Finance / Administration Cost analyses and monitoring
Accounting, procurement, and time recording
Most Useful Functional Area to Responders’ Mission
Since “life safety is the top priority for ICS response” (FEMA, 2018, p. 19), the
functional are of Logistics can take top-rank in importance since it involves resources and
services without which—as I previously contended—the Response mission is impossible.
Contrary to this argument, investigations from the California fires of the 1970s concluded that
shortcoming in the response efforts “could rarely be attributed to lack of resources” (FEMA,
2018, p. 15).
Least Useful Functional Area to Responders’ Mission
The functional area of Finance / Administration may appear critical in that absences of
monies hinders the purchase of resources to meet Response mission objectives. Nevertheless,
individuals in other functional areas can assume the activities of Finance. For example, Logistics
can execute both the procurement (paying) for and the acquisition (obtaining) of resources and
services. Additionally, Planning work groups can assume activities of cost analyses and
monitoring, and time recording.
References
Department of Homeland Security. (2019). National Response Framework (4th ed.).
https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/NRF_FINALApproved_2011028.pdf
Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2018). An Introduction to the Incident Command
System: Student Manual. https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-
100.c&lang=en
Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2020a). An Introduction to the National Incident
Management System: Student Manual. https://training.fema.gov/is/coursematerials.aspx?
code=IS-700.b
Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2020b, August). National Response Framework, An
Introduction: Student Manual. FEMA Emergency Management Institute.
https://training.fema.gov/is/coursematerials.aspx?code=IS-800.d
Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2021, October 15). National Response Framework |
FEMA.gov. Www.fema.gov. https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/national-
preparedness/frameworks/response
Luke 14:28-33 ESV - - Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Www.biblegateway.com. Retrieved October 8,
2022, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+14%3A28-
33&version=ESV
Nemeth, C. P. (2013). Homeland Security: An Introduction to Principles and Practice, Second
Edition (3rd ed., pp. 213-295). Chapman & Hall/CRC Press.
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