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1 Many airports are already familiar with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS). The purpose of this publication is to offer sugges- tions on how to more fully integrate NIMS and ICS into the airport environment for a more effective response to incidents and events. This guidebook is intended to help airport managers develop or improve their strategic relationships and written emergency plans with surrounding jurisdictions, using the common platform, language, and system residing within NIMS/ICS. Successful implementation of these principles will provide a stronger position for airports to manage an effective and safe response in the event of a major incident or event at the airport. The guidebook is intended to help airport managers and their staff gain additional information concerning the value and applications of NIMS and one of its operational components, ICS. Because airports rely on outside resources during circumstances when an incident or event outstrips their ability to manage it on their own [for smaller Part 139 and small general aviation (GA) airports this is the situation for nearly all incidents], it is important that airports and their regional disaster response partners share a similar preparedness platform. Assets such as hazardous material (HAZMAT) response teams, bomb squads, hostage negotiation units, decontamination units, volunteer organizations, and other sources of aid typically respond from outside the airport. Those assets and others exist within government structuresâcities, counties, states, or federal agenciesâand those jurisdictions usually follow the NIMS construct, if not by the book then very close to it. However, there are still some smaller communities that may not be as well versed in NIMS/ICS (with the possible exception of local fire departments) and where the airport may be able to use this guidebook to lead the effort to build a common platform compatible to the response goals and procedures of the airport. In order to facilitate a coordinated response among the critical stakeholders and to more effectively align with neighboring community critical emergency response and health care assets, airports have an interest in integrating their tactical response planning to the plans followed by mutual aid organizations. Additionally, when considering a regional disaster response, such as a natural disaster, the airport serving that region may play a significant role in supporting state, regional and national response assets flowing toward the incident. Even if airports are not centrally managing overall incident response, they should be aware of how arriving response and logistics are being coordinated. Many airports are using ICS for some types of incidents; others use ICS routinely on all types of irregular operations as well as during major incidents or events. For some airportsâfor a variety of reasonsâNIMS and ICS have yet to be embraced as tools for managing preparedness and response. Wherever your airport falls along this spectrum, this guidebook should facilitate progress in using proven, nationally adopted business models when situations require rapid coordination of a variety of resources to address abnormal conditions that affect airports and/or the surrounding communities. Introduction
