Drafter
Clerk 01/27/2005
Title
AN ORDINANCE adopting the federal National Incident Management System ("NIMS") for King County government.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. The federal Department of Homeland Security has developed a comprehensive nationwide framework for incident management that enables responders at all levels to work together more effectively to manage an incident no matter what the cause, size or complexity, herein referred to as the National Incident Management System ("NIMS"), which incorporates best practices currently in use by incident managers at all levels and was developed through extensive outreach to state, local and tribal officials, the emergency response community and the private sector.
2. NIMS establishes a federally recognized standard incident management processes, protocols, and procedures that all responders -- federal, state, tribal and local -- will use to coordinate and conduct response actions.
3. Responders using the same standardized procedures will all share a common focus and will be able to place full emphasis on incident management when an incident occurs, whether it is terrorism or a natural disaster. In addition, national preparedness and readiness in responding to and recovering from an incident is enhanced since all of the nation's emergency teams and authorities are using a common language and set of procedures.
4. Homeland Security Presidential Directive-5 states that NIMS must be adopted by state and local organizations as a condition for federal preparedness assistance after October 1, 2005.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. The National Incident Management System is hereby adopted.
The King County office of emergency management shall incorporate NIMS into the King County Emergency Management Plan.