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<br />B. FY 2006 TRIBAL GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL JURISDICTION
<br />COMPLIANCE ACTIVITIES
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<br />In March 2004, the Secretary of Homeland Security, at the request of the President, released the
<br />National Incident Management System (NIMS). The NIMS is a comprehensive system that
<br />improves Tribal and local response operations through the use of the Incident Command System
<br />(ICS) and the application of standardized procedures and preparedness measures. It promotes
<br />development of cross-jurisdictional, Statewide, and interstate regional mechanisms for
<br />coordinating response and obtaining assistance during a large-scale or complex incident.
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<br />Tribal and local authorities, not Federal, have the primary responsibility for preventing,
<br />responding to, and recovering from emergencies and disasters. The overwhelming majority of
<br />emergency incidents are handled on a daily basis by a single jurisdiction at the local level. It is
<br />critically important that all jurisdictions comply with the NIMS because the challenges we face
<br />as a Nation are far greater than the capabilities of anyone jurisdiction; they are not, however,
<br />greater than the sum of all of us working together through mutual support. Homeland Security
<br />Presidential Directive 5 (HSPD-5), Management of Domestic Incidents, requires all Federal
<br />Departments and agencies to adopt and implement the NIMS, and requires State 1 and local'
<br />jurisdictions to implement the NIMS to receive Federal preparedness funding.
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<br />NIMS compliance should be considered and undertaken as a community-wide effort. The
<br />benefit ofNIMS is most evident at the local level, when a community as a whole prepares for
<br />and provides an integrated response to an incident. Incident response organizations (to include
<br />local public health, public works, emergency management, fire, emergency medical services, law
<br />enforcement, hazardous materials, private sector entities, non-governmental organizations,
<br />medical organizations, utilities, and others) must work together to comply with NIMS
<br />components, policies, and procedures. Implementation of the NIMS in every Tribal and local
<br />jurisdiction establishes a baseline capability that once established nationwide, can be used as a
<br />foundation upon which more advanced homeland security capabilities can be built.
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<br />Small and/or rural jurisdictions will benefit from a regional approach. In many instances smaller
<br />communities may not have the resources to implement all elements ofNIMS on their own.
<br />However, by working together with other localities in their regions, these jurisdictions will be
<br />able to pool their resources to implement NIMS.
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<br />When NIMS is fully implemented, your local community or jurisdiction will be able to:
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<br />I~ As defined in the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the tenn "State" means any State of the United States, the District of
<br />Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
<br />Islands, and any possession of the United States," 6 V.S.C. 101 (14)
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<br />2 As defined in the Homeland Security Act of2002, Section 2(10): the tenn "local government" means "(A) county,
<br />municipality, city, town, township, local public authority, school district, special district, intrastate district, council of
<br />governments... regional or interstate government entity, or agency or instrumentality ofa local government: an Indian tribe
<br />or authorized Tribal organization, or in Alaska a Native village or Alaska Regional Native Corporation; and a rural
<br />community, unincorporated town or village, or other public entity." 6 V.S.C. 101(10)
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