Interconnectivity of NIMS Command and Coordination Structures

NIMS structures enable incident managers to manage incidents in a unified, consistent manner.

Interconnectivity of NIMS structures is important to allow personnel in diverse geographic areas, with differing roles and responsibilities, and operating within various functions of ICS and/or EOCs to integrate their efforts through common organizational structures, terminology, and processes.

  • When an incident occurs or threatens, local emergency personnel manage response using NIMS principles and ICS.
  • If the incident is or becomes large or complex, local EOCs activate.
  • EOCs receive senior level guidance from MAC Groups.
  • A Joint Information Center (JIC) manages the Joint Information System (JIS) operations to ensure coordinated and accurate public messaging among all levels: ICS, EOC and MAC Group.

If required resources are not available locally, they can be obtained under mutual aid agreements from neighboring jurisdictions, or State, tribal, territorial, and interstate sources and assigned to the control of the Incident Commander or Unified Command.

Graphic showing NIMS Command and Coordination Structures: MAC Group, EOC, and ICS with JIS spanning across all three. MAC Group: Multi Agency Coordination Group: Offsite support of ICS and EOCs through Policy Guicance & Sarce Resource Allocation. EOC: Emergency Operations Centers: Off Site Emergency Operations Centers Support On-Scene ICS Operations. ICS: Incident Command System - On-Scene Management of Incidents. JIS spanning all 3: Joint Information System - Integrate Incident Information and Public Affairs across ICS, EOCs, and MAC Groups.