NIMS Effective Communication

When I was in the navy one of my chiefs liked to say, “Communication is the key to success!” I think this applies to many things in life, but it also has a lot to do with the successful implementation of the National Incident Management System/Incident Command System also known as NIMS/ICS. The reasons why good communication is so important in an incident that uses NIMS/ICS is that without it there is no coordination between anyone and the Incident Commander also known as the IC. And if the IC does not get the information he/she needs to properly place resources he/she has it makes an incident that is already bad to worse. The use of proper communication is crucial in an incident. There are many moving parts to NIMS/ICS that requires a lot

of planning and coordination which needs good communication to succeed. Good communication means using clear concise wording and terminology that anyone can use and understand. (National Incident Management System Principles and Practice Second Edition ch. 12 pg. 128) Not only is it important to coordinate with each other, but also it is important to let the general public know what is going on without causing panic and providing accurate information, and that’s where good communication comes in to play as well through the Public Information Officer also known as the PIO. (ch. 10 pg. 100) One other aspect of NIMS/ICS that also requires good communication is when you do a transfer of command from one IC to another. Because when you do a transfer of command to someone you can’t just say a few words to describe the incident and then pass it off to someone else. You need to give a full picture of what is going on, who is involved, and where the resources are at a minimum. And on top of that, you need to make sure everyone else is on board with the transfer of command and knows what to do with their new assignments and supervisor. (ch. 3 pg. 25)