As a security official, not only should you have a clear understanding of NIMS, NFPA 1600 and NFPA 1561, but you should also incorporate these codes into your building’s emergency management plan. This will help you better respond to an incident and can help reduce your exposure to litigation, as well. By having a NFPA 1600/NFPA 1561 system in place, one that is synchronized with NIMS, you will be able to prove that you have paid due-diligence vulnerabilities and have attempted to mitigate the effects.
1. NFPA 1600: The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1600 Standard for Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs “defines the overall requirements and intent of a complete disaster/ emergency management and business continuity program.”
2. NFPA 1561: The NFPA 1561 Standard on Emergency Services Incident Management System “defines how to meet the requirement under clause 5.9 for Incident Management of the NFPA 1600.”
3. NIMS: The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is a “guidance document and explains how this incident command system works, the command structure, and the roles and responsibilities of the staff levels and functions.”
The above codes are designed to help standardize disaster / emergency planning, preparedness, and incident command and control implementation, while also better aiding first responders. And on January 4, 2013, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recommended state and local governments adopt the NFPA 1600 and NFPA 1561 standards as a means of complying with NIMS.
For any further questions on NIMS and NFPA Standards, simply contact ARK Systems at 1-800-995-0189 or click here today.
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