[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 246 (Monday, December 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78377-78378]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30333]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Federal Emergency Management Agency

[Docket ID FEMA-2008-0015]


National Incident Management System Guideline for the 
Credentialing of Personnel

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is accepting 
comments on the National Incident Management System (NIMS) Guideline 
for the Credentialing of Personnel (the Guideline). The Guideline 
provides guidance on how to best credential the personnel who respond 
to incidents, including large-scale terrorist attacks and catastrophic 
natural disasters that require inter-State deployable mutual aid.

DATES: Comments must be received by January 21, 2009.

ADDRESSES: The Guideline is available online at http://www.regulations.gov. You may also view a hard copy of the Guideline at 
the Office of Chief Counsel, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Room 
835, 500 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 20472. You may submit comments 
on the Guideline, identified by Docket ID FEMA-2008-0015, using one of 
the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments, to the proper Docket ID.
    E-mail: [email protected]. Include Docket ID in the subject line 
of the message.
    Fax: 866-466-5370.
    Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Regulation & Policy Team, Office of 
Chief Counsel, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Room 835, 500 C 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20472.
    Instructions: All Submissions received must include the agency name 
and Docket ID. Regardless of the method used for submitting comments or 
material, all submissions will be posted,

[[Page 78378]]

without change, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov, and will include any personal information you 
provide. Therefore, submitting this information makes it public. You 
may wish to read the Privacy Act notice that is available on the 
Privacy and Use Notice link on the Administration Navigation Bar of 
http://www.regulations.gov.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Submitted comments may also be inspected at FEMA, 
Office of Chief Counsel, Room 835, 500 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20472.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Schweitzer, Executive Director, 
National Preparedness Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 
500 C Street SW., Washington, DC 20472, 202-646-3234.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 28, 2003, the President issued 
Homeland Security Presidential Directive--5 (HSPD-5), Management of 
Domestic Incidents, which directed the Secretary of Homeland Security 
to develop and administer a National Incident Management System (NIMS). 
This system provides a consistent nationwide template to enable 
Federal, State, tribal, and local governments, the private sector, and 
nongovernmental organizations to work together to prevent, protect 
against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of 
incidents, regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity. This 
consistency provides the foundation for utilization of NIMS for all 
incidents, ranging from daily occurrences to incidents requiring a 
coordinated Federal response. NIMS represents a core set of doctrines, 
concepts, principles, terminology, and organizational processes that 
enables effective, efficient, and collaborative incident management. 
One of the elements of NIMS is the credentialing of personnel that may 
respond to disasters.
    The Guideline provides guidance on how to best credential the 
personnel who respond to incidents, including large-scale terrorist 
attacks and catastrophic natural disasters that require inter-State 
deployable mutual aid. The Guideline will encourage interoperability 
among Federal, State, and local officials and will facilitate 
deployment for response and/or restoration. The Guideline will allow 
incident commanders to exercise enhanced access control in times of 
crisis.
    For non-Federal stakeholders, the Guideline will help ensure that 
when called upon for mutual aid, emergency response officials from 
multiple jurisdictions and sectors will have interoperable processes. 
This will enable emergency response officials to spend less time 
processing and being processed and more time responding to the 
incident. The Guideline is built upon scalable, flexible, and adaptable 
coordinating structures to align key roles and responsibilities across 
the Nation. It describes specific authority and best practices for 
managing interstate disasters and integrates credentialing within the 
Incident Command System.
    FEMA solicits comments on the draft Guideline, which is available 
in Docket ID FEMA-2008-0015 at http://www.regulations.gov.

    Authority: Homeland Security Act of 2002, Public Law 107-296, as 
amended; Homeland Security Presidential Directive--5, Management of 
Domestic Incidents, and Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 
Commission Act of 2007, Public Law 110-53, Section 408 and 409.

    Dated: December 8, 2008.
R. David Paulison,
Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
 [FR Doc. E8-30333 Filed 12-19-08; 8:45 am]
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