MINIMUM NIMS COMPLIANCE ACTIVITIES TO BE ACHIEVED DURING FY 2005

State and territory level efforts to implement the NIMS must include the following:

?	Incorporate NIMS into existing training programs and exercises;
?	Ensure that federal preparedness funding supports state, local and tribal NIMS implementation;
?	Incorporate NIMS into Emergency Operations Plans;
?	Promote intrastate mutual aid agreements;
?	Coordinate and provide NIMS technical assistance to local entities; and 
?	Institutionalize the use of the Incident Command System.


At the state, territorial, tribal and local levels, jurisdictions should support NIMS implementation by: 

?	Completing the NIMS Awareness Course: "National Incident Management System (NIMS), An 
Introduction" IS 700.  This independent study course developed by the Emergency Management Institute 
(EMI) explains the purpose, principles, key components and benefits of NIMS.  The course is available 
on the EMI web page at: http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is700.asp. 

?	Formally recognizing the NIMS and adopting NIMS principles and policies. States, territories, tribes and 
local entities should establish legislation, executive orders, resolutions or ordinances to formally adopt 
the NIMS.  Go to http://www.fema.gov/nims and click on Tools and Templates for examples. 

?	Establish a baseline by determining which NIMS requirements you already meet.  Clearly state, 
territorial, tribal, and local entities have already implemented many of the concepts and protocols 
identified in the NIMS.  As gaps in compliance with the NIMS are identified, States, territories, tribes, 
and local entities should use existing initiatives such as the Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP) 
Homeland Security grant programs, to develop strategies for addressing those gaps.    

?	Establishing a timeframe and developing a strategy for full NIMS implementation.  States, territories, 
tribes, and local entities are encouraged to achieve full NIMS implementation during FY 2005.  To the 
extent that full implementation is not possible during FY 2005, which ends on Sept. 30, 2005, federal 
preparedness assistance must be leveraged to complete NIMS implementation by Sept. 30, 2006. 
Beginning FY 2007 (Oct. 1, 2006), federal preparedness assistance will be conditioned by full 
compliance with the NIMS.  States should work with the tribal and local governments to develop a 
strategy for statewide compliance with the NIMS. 

?	Institutionalizing the use of the Incident Command System (ICS).  If state, territorial, tribal and local 
entities are not already using ICS, you must institutionalize the use of ICS (consistent with the concepts 
and principles taught by DHS) across the entire response system. See Terms and Definitions: 
Institutionalizing the Use of ICS on the NIMS Homepage at http://www.fema.gov/nims.

FY 2006 and FY 2007 Requirements: 

In order to receive FY 2006 preparedness funding, applicants will need to certify as part of their FY 2006 
grant applications that they have met the FY 2005 NIMS requirements. 

Questions?  Ask the NIC at NIMS-Integration-Center@dhs.gov.


THE NIMS INTEGRATION CENTER
DECEMBER 2004




www.fema.gov/nims