HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/05/2006, C10 - NATIONAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (NIMS) council "'et"`a" 9-5-06
j acEnda Report
CITY OF SAN LUIS O B I S P O
FROM: John Callahan,Fire Chief
Prepared By: Viv Dilts, Administrative Analyst II
SUBJECT: NATIONAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (NIMS)
CAO RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a resolution that
1. Certifies that the National Incident Management System (NIMS) has been adopted and
integrated into the City's emergency management system, and
2. Requires appropriate NIMS training for City personnel.
DISCUSSION
Background. In March 2004, the Secretary of Homeland Security, at the direction of the
President, released the National Incident Management System (NIMS). NIMS is a
comprehensive system that improves local response operations through the use of the Incident
Command System (ICS) and standardized procedures and preparedness measures. It promotes
development of cross jurisdictional, statewide, and interstate regional mechanisms for
coordinating response and obtaining assistance during a large-scale or complex incident.
Local authorities have the primary responsibility for preventing, responding to, and recovering
from emergencies and disasters. The overwhelming majority of emergency incidents are handled
on a daily basis by a single jurisdiction at the local level using ICS. It is critically important that
all jurisdictions comply with NIMS because the challenges we face as a nation are far greater
than the capabilities of any one jurisdiction. Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 requires
local jurisdictions adopt and implement NIMS to receive federal preparedness funding, including
training certain City employees utilizing federally certified courses. This resolution certifies that
the City has adopted and implemented NIMS and formalizes the associated training requirement.
Actions To-Date. The Police Department has made two levels of NIMS/Incident Command
System (ICS) training available to City Employees, depending upon the expected role the
employee will fulfill in a real disaster. The lowest level of training can be completed by taking
two web-based courses that take approximately 4 to 6 hours to complete. The higher level of
training is a classroom course that takes between 6 and 8 hours. Training is required to be
completed by September 30, 2006. Even though much of the training is redundant for some City
employees, and not necessarily "on point"for others, the module required by the Federal
government requires that trainers present certain specific, standardized elements of information.
This is because the need is to establish a national baseline of training and skill —and skill and
knowledge presently vary widely across the nation. California cities and counties, which have
long been utilizing an emergency management system that was the basis for the national NIMS
model, are ahead of most other states in our training and experience.
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Future Actions. As new employees are hired, Department heads will identify those that need to
take the on-line training and those that need the more in-depth classroom training. The web
training can be done anytime. Police personnel will have additional classroom courses available
to accommodate new employees.
FISCAL IMPACT
In order to provide the required classroom training to City employees in the most cost-effective
manner, the Police Department sent two officers to a NIMS Instructor Trainer course, which
certified the officers to teach the NIMS classroom course. The cost to the Police Department for
training these instructors was reimbursed by POST and there was no fiscal impact to the City..
In order to offer a sufficient number of classes to accommodate employees' schedules, and to
ensure the training requirement was met by September 30, 2006, the Police Department
coordinated with trained instructors from the Sheriff's Department to offer large, lecture-style
classes at the PG&E Center. City employees were able to choose which class session to attend,
and the classes were taught by either Police Department or Sheriffs Department instructors.
Department Heads determined which employees needed to attend the classroom training vs. the
web-based training (or no training at all), based on criteria developed by the federal government.
This regional approach to delivering the required training allowed City employees a greater
choice of class offerings and made more efficient use of the instructor cadre in our County. The
Police Department will absorb the cost of their two instructors to teach several of the courses.
Approximately 260 City employees (including all Police Department employees) will have
attended the one-day classroom training by September 30, 2006. Most employees are attending
as part of their regular work day, however some employees must attend the training on overtime
due to the nature of their positions. This is especially true in the Police Department where most
employees work shifts that do not coincide with the training dates. Department Heads are
responsible for tracking any overtime used to send employees to training and reporting these
costs to the Police Department. The Police Department anticipates expending approximately
$15,000 in overtime for this training. The cost should be much lower for other departments.
Police Department staff will be working with the County to receive reimbursement for City
overtime costs from federal homeland security funds.
ALTERNATIVES
The Council could choose to not adopt this resolution. This is not recommended because the
City will be put in jeopardy of not receiving federal preparedness grants or reimbursement for
costs expended during major emergency and disaster response and recovery operations.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution
G:/Council Agenda Reports/CAR-NMS.doc
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RESOLUTION NO. (2006 Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
ADOPTING THE NATIONAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (NIMS)
WHEREAS, response to and recovery from major emergencies and disasters require integrated
professional management and coordination; and
WHEREAS, the President directed the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to
develop and administer a National Incident Management System (NIMS) to standardize and
enhance incident management procedures nationwide; and
WHEREAS, the National Incident Management System provides a structure and process to
effectively coordinate responders from multiple disciplines and levels of government and to
integrate them with resources from the private sector and non-governmental organizations; and
WHEREAS, the California Standardized Emergency Management System substantially meets
the objectives of the National Incident Management System; and
WHEREAS, use of the National Incident Management System, which has as a key component
the Incident Command System (ICS), will improve the City of San Luis Obispo's ability to
manage major emergencies and disasters; and
WHEREAS, failure to adopt and use the National Incident Management System may preclude
the City of San Luis Obispo from receiving federal preparedness grants or reimbursement for
costs expended during major emergency and disaster response and recovery operations;
THEREFORE, be it resolved that the City of San Luis Obispo hereby adopts the National
Incident Management System as the foundation for incident command, coordination and support
activities. It shall further be the policy of City of San Luis Obispo to provide appropriate
training on the National Incident Management System and its core components to personnel
responsible for managing and/or supporting major emergency and disaster operations.
On motion of seconded by
and on the following roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
the foregoing resolution was passed and adopted this day of 2006.
Mayor David F. Romero
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Resolution No.(2006 Series)
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ATTEST:
City Clerk Audrey Hooper
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
City Attorney Jonathan Lowell
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