Implementing the FEMA-mandated National Incident Management System in every fire department in the nation has hit some roadblocks, as many fire-service leaders reject the system in favor of legacy strategies, said Leonard Carmichael Jr., who led a session on NIMS use at Fire-Rescue International.

Carmichael is a fire captain in Trenton, N.J., who also works with Fire Training Associates. He said NIMS provides a systematic, proactive approach for departments to prevent, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate the effects of incidents. It provides a framework to manage any incident and is crucial in promoting firefighter safety.

“Failure to implement this system can contribute to a line-of-duty death or a serious injury,” Carmichael said. “It also eliminates freelancing, which means that everyone has an organized approach to the incident and everyone knows what their job is. … But most importantly, using the system, fire chiefs know where everybody is.”

John Buckman, chair of the IAFC's FRI program-planning committee, said NIMS helps the fire service follow a consistent action plan. It also lets fire chiefs manage and organize any emergency event and lets departments work seamlessly during large-scale incidents that cross jurisdictions.

For NIMS to work, it is crucial that training and education is offered. Carmichael said all levels of leadership should be trained on how to use the system so young firefighters moving up the ranks are well-versed on how to run an incident based on the NIMS mandate.

“When the fire chief has that expectation of his or her chief officers then that should transfer to the lowest level to the firefighter,” he said. “They need to know there is a system in place that holds them accountable for their actions and, as the incident escalates, they are prepared to handle that.”

Buckman said fire chiefs need to think more globally. Although all emergencies are local, extreme events means resources from surrounding cities or counties often are needed to mitigate an incident. NIMS provides a roadmap to using resources that often sit on the shelf until a large-scale incident occurs.

“Every department is prone to have a disaster and will need to bring in resources not used every day, from floods to tornados to earthquakes,” he said. “A tornado is not an everyday event, so chiefs may have to bring in people, such as from the health department.”

Cultural issues have stalled NIMS implementation, Carmichael said. He said fear of the unknown is driving the trend, but training, education and commitment can overcome such fears.

Chiefs often don't use NIMS because they are concerned about outside interference.

“It's that fear, unfounded fear, that the fire chief has that someone is going to come in and take over,” Buckman said. “No, they are not. The law does not allow them to, doesn't provide them the opportunity and will lead to negative consequences if they do.”

Carmichael said that chiefs who don't follow NIMS open themselves to liability exposure or, worse, allegations of criminal malfeasance.

“[They] worked hard their whole life to get to the chief's position,” he said. “They risk losing it all by not following the system.”