Regardless of how you may have answered that question, now is the perfect opportunity for your private sector organization to learn more about the National Incident Management System, or NIMS. That’s because FEMA recently updated and released a resource document entitled the National Incident Management System Implementation Fact Sheet for Private Sector Organizations.”

NIMS, according to FEMA, “guides all levels of government, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector to work together to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to and recover from incidents.” Additionally, “NIMS provides stakeholders across the whole community with the shared vocabulary, systems and processes to successfully deliver the capabilities described in the National Preparedness System, and defines operational systems that guide how personnel work together during incidents.”

The fact sheet revision, says FEMA, is “part of a collaborative effort of a dozen private sector and nonprofit subject matter experts (SMEs) and stakeholders from various state, local, tribal, and territorial levels.” It recognizes the vital role that private sector organizations play in effective incident management, and encourages those with the capacity and willingness to participate in incident operations to “integrate with governmental incident management efforts–including planning, training, and preparedness exercises.”

So, whether your organization is in a position to lead or simply offer much-needed support, a better understanding of NIMS can improve our nation’s readiness and response capabilities exponentially. Take time now to download this all important resource document from FEMA’s website, https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_nims-private-sector-fact-sheet_05-2021.pdf, and see for yourself how organizations that apply the NIMS principles can help their staff to: 

  • Better manage all incidents, from minor incidents to major disasters
  • Better coordinate with all levels of government (local, state, tribal, territorial, and Federal) that are required to implement NIMS to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from incidents 
  • Better manage planned events as well as unplanned incidents

Rest assured, the document is an easy read and its contents may prove invaluable to you and your private sector organization during the next natural disaster, cyber attack, pandemic, or other critical event.