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About the National Incident Management Organization

About Us

The National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) was created in 2006. Since then, four full time teams have worked in support of a variety of national and international incidents and projects. The teams are assigned to the Washington Office - Fire and Aviation Management (FAM). Each team is composed of an:

  • Incident Commander

  • Safety Officer

  • Public Information Officer

  • Operations Sections Chief

  • Logistics Section Chief

  • Finance Section Chief

  • Planning Section Chief

As a learning organization, the NIMO Program has changed in a myriad of ways since inception. As we learn, through research and experience, our processes and program of work are evolving. To facilitate positive change in large fire incidents, flexibility and learning are crucial to meet the needs of a changing fire organization..

What We Do

The National Incident Management Organization program helps wildland fire agencies address issues and improve future fire management. The NIMO teams work with Fire and Aviation Management, and the Assistant Director (AD) areas to identify project opportunities, evaluate success and determine future direction for the NIMO teams and program.

When NIMO teams are not on assignment, they largely support Fire and Aviation Management (FAM) projects. The teams work as a force multiplier on fire issues that cross agency boundaries. The basis of these issues focus on the need to increase fuels treatments, increase capability and capacity of wildland fire resources by revisiting current training and qualifications, and develop an increasingly progressive and effective fire management model for large, more complex fires.

NIMO works with all wildland fire agencies to provide consistency and improve fire management processes. All of the initiatives require long-term coordination and cooperation to assure that all agencies reap the benefits of future changes.

Our Accomplishments

During the first five years of existence, NIMO formally reported accomplishments, documenting how the new organization was progressing.

However, since 2011, we have shifted to reporting on the kinds of projects we have been assigned over the years. These projects are listed below, sorted by type, to ensure our current and future customers are aware of the wide range of projects with which we are poised to help.

Foundational Documents

The seeds for an organization like NIMO took root several years ago. Based upon research into the overall need, the U.S. Forest Service developed a plan. See some of these foundational documents below: