In recognition of the advent of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the adoption and use of the Incident Command System (ICS) by other than America’s fire service to include federal, state, and local agencies, non-government organizations (NGOs), and private sector businesses, the National Fire Service Incident Management System Consortium has changed its name to the National Incident Management System Consortium (NIMSC).
The National Fire Service Incident Management System Consortium formally came into existence in 1991 to integrate the FIRESCOPE Incident Command System (ICS) that was developed in the early 1970’s in California to address the resource management needs associated with large-scale wildland fires and the Fire Ground Command (FGC) system developed by the Phoenix, Arizona Fire Department. The differences in focus and development of the two systems created inconsistencies in terminology and application. It was recognized by proponents of both systems that when agencies that employed one or the other system needed to work together, a single incident management system is critical to effective command and control. The 1st edition of the Model Procedures Guide to Structural Firefighting accomplished this undertaking.
Phillip C. Vorlander
President
National Incident Management System Consortium
Chief of the Fire Department
City of Des Moines
900 Mulberry Street
Des Moines, IA 50309
515.283.4237
pcvorlander@dmgov.org